They have one more game to go against Papua New Guinea in Trinidad, and that will likely be Boult’s last appearance at the T20 World Cup.
“We’re devastated to not qualify,” Boult said. “We’ve been outplayed earlier in the tournament and yeah, we haven’t qualified for good reason so it’s unfortunate but that’s how T20 cricket goes.”
Boult, who is 34 now, has 32 wickets in 17 matches at the T20 World Cup and is the tenth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history as of now.
The left-arm quick was released from his central contract two years ago and has only been seen in a handful of games at international level since.
With him bowing out from the T20 World Cup, New Zealand will need to prepare to fill a gaping hole in their bowling attack for 2026. Tim Southee, now 35, will also not be around for too long and preparing for a transition period, even if Southee does remain in contention for 2026, will be their top priority in the coming months.
“I look at it [partnership with Southee] with very fond memories,” Boult said.
“We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously a very good friend on and off the ground. So yeah, nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. So yeah, like I said, some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come.”