New Zealand’s bowler Trent Boult has been making headlines for quitting New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) Central Contracts. The board has also decided to respect his will, which means the bowler will not be so often available for the team’s matches, but only for crucial events, such as the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
According to recent headlines, Boult will feature in the newly-launched UAE-based T20 league, ILT20. The franchise MI Emirates, owned by Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians, has roped in 14 more players alongside Boult. The parent IPL teams of ILT20 franchises have earlier requested the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to let them sign four of their players in the UAE-based T20 league.
Trent Boult is back in MI colours with the Emirates ILT20 ? pic.twitter.com/eSkFqyol6P
— Sport360° (@Sport360) August 12, 2022
Boult, who will be partially utilized by the NZC, might be seen in franchise-based tournaments all across the world. Since he is freed from the central contracts for family reasons, ILT20 will be his first league-based assignment out of the board’s contracts.
The fourteen players signed by the MI Emirates are:
Kieron Pollard (West Indies), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies), Boult (New Zealand), Andre Fletcher (West Indies), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Samit Patel (England), Will Smeed (England), Jordan Thompson (England), Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Fazalhaq Farooqui (Afghanistan), Bradley Wheal (Scotland) and Bas De Leede (Netherlands).
It must be noted the team will don a blue gold jersey for the inaugural edition of the ILT20. Moreover, since the ILT20 schedule clashes with Pakistan vs New Zealand series, it is likely that the cricketer won’t make himself available for the Test series.
