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On the eve of the opening ODI series vs India At Eden Park, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was full of praise for Martin Guptill, calling him “one of our best white-ballers” while adding that the veteran opener was still eager to play for the Blackcaps.
On Wednesday, Guptill, widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s best ever white bowlers, was given a release from the central contract after he was dropped from the ongoing series against India and unable to play a single T20 match. Globalism Australian Cup.
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“He’s added a lot of value over the years and was without a doubt one of the best white ball players we’ve ever had. There’s no kind of questioning that. It’s a matter of trying to strike that balance, as we’ve seen with a few other players who’ve also looked at some of these opportunities.” .
“Obviously he decided to explore some other options, but as a player and as a member of the team, he’s added a lot of value over the years. Even in the T20 World Cup, without getting the chance to play, he was great at introducing all the players in the group.
“Sure, we’ll miss him, but he’s not retired, so there’s a lot to keep working over the coming period to get a sense of what the picture is like,” Williamson said in the pre-match press conference.
Guptill’s decision to leave the central contract comes after some of his colleagues chose the same path. All-rounder fast bowler Colin de Grandhomme retired from international cricket after a decade from the Big Bash League (BBL).
Fellow all-rounder James Neesham has turned down a central contract offer, after taking on various duties in the T20 franchise league. Most notably, left-arm fast bowler Trent Bolt left the central contract to spend more time with his family – taking lucrative opportunities in various T20 leagues such as the BBL and ILT20.
“It’s kind of a moving landscape, so it’s a matter of assessing that and seeing how it can work going forward. He hasn’t retired. He still has the drive to keep playing and getting better. As a player, you go through different periods, you go through different phases. It’s about managing it.”
“I’ve had a little chat with him and I’ve chatted with him before as well. I’ve known Martin for a long time and he’s been a great player for New Zealand. Obviously the news came out yesterday and he’s made decisions to play in some of these other tournaments, but he’s still available for New Zealand as well,” added Williamson of his teammates. In the team who gave up the central contracts.
Guptill currently has a score of 7,346 runs at an average of 41.73 in 198 ODIs, with an individual highest score of 237 not out. In T20Is, he amassed 3,531 and sits comfortably at the top of the all-leading runs, averaging 31.81 with a highest score of 105. Williamson was undecided on whether Guptill would return to New Zealand in time for the ODI World Cup in India next year.
“In our most recent series he was a lot in the squad and then narrowing it down to a smaller team when you play at home. It’s a bit tricky to fit everyone in. We always have different discussions about the team and direction and with people so there are always different conversations that happen. You look at the next series And the different time periods, and you try to increase the depth… there are a lot of factors to discuss and try to stay on top of it.
“We’ve had a number of conversations about a lot of players, as we always do when we look at the series and factor in different factors in terms of players gaining experience and bringing players in. We always have those discussions.”
Guptill’s omission means the pressure to fill his big shoes at the top will fall on youngster Finn Allen, whose attacking starting ability means he will face India in ODIs. Allen burst onto the big stage when he hit 42 off just 16 balls against Australia in the opening match of the T20 World Cup, but he’s been bowling ever since.
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“In cricket you are always going through different lessons and learning a number of different lessons. As a young player, Finn has an incredible amount of talent, and we have seen that, and he continues to learn as well.”
“It’s all very valuable experiences, and he’s no different than any other player, whether you’re batting, touring or playing more matches. That’s just the nature of the sport. He has a huge appetite to keep improving and developing as a player,” concluded Williamson.
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