‘Hopefully lifting something pretty shiny…’ – Trent Boult eyes maiden ICC World Cup title with New Zealand

The star New Zealand cricketer Trent Boult has set his eyes on the ICC World Cup glory as he returned to the national team on Wednesday, August 9. The ace pacer was a surprise inclusion in New Zealand’s ODI team for the upcoming England tour and now he targets the glory at the ICC World Cup 2023.

The 34-year-old left-arm pacer preferred franchise cricket over national cricket when he did not sign a contract extension with New Zealand Cricket last year. But he never announced retirement from international cricket to keep fans guessing over his comeback ahead of the ICC World Cup this year.

New Zealand will face England in four ODIs on their next tour and have included the veteran pacer to hint at his potential selection for the World Cup. Boult was part of the Black Caps team during the 2019 World Cup where they finished runner-up after super-over drama against England in the final. Boult said that he remains hungry for the World Cup title and is hoping to play a big role to give his team his maiden ICC World Cup.

“I have always had this in the back of my mind to come back and work towards an ODI World Cup. There’s history involved there. The times we have had in previous campaigns have been very exciting. So just hungry to get involved, and hopefully play a big role. I’m just thinking about hopefully lifting something pretty shiny that we were pretty close to four years ago. That’s the biggest focus,” Boult said after his return to New Zealand’s ODI team.

Boult returns to international cricket after winning the Major League Cricket 2023 title with MI New York. He also featured in the Indian Premier League 2023 with Rajasthan Royals but revealed that he still respects international cricket. He added that playing in the World Cup will be his biggest focus in the coming days.

“Just pretty grateful to get the experiences across a couple of big tournaments, and it’s been different watching the Black Caps games from afar and seeing the guys go out there and take on the international game. I still respect the international game immensely; it plays a big role in any kid trying to come through and play cricket as a dream. The idea of a World Cup is still the pinnacle in my opinion as well,” Boult added.

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