The debate of prioritizing franchise cricket over international cricket just refuses to die down. After Ben Stokes announced his retirement due to a grueling limited-overs schedule of English cricket, experts and fans from all over the globe weighed in the discussion just to perceive the best possible ideas related to cricket's way forward. Experts like Ravi Shastri and current cricketers like Usman Khwaja sided with the increase in franchise cricket, whereas ex-cricketers like Madan Lal and Nasser Hussain have urged the ICC to look towards the window that is being granted to franchise cricket which in many ways impacts the international cricketing schedule.
Igniting the fire even further, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has now asked the New Zealand Cricket Board to release him from his central contract which will allow him to spend more time with his family members and give him the leverage to play T20I leagues. The request that Boult makes the fact pretty evident that his time in international cricket will now be reduced. The board has accepted the speedster's request and has made it clear that the players who are centrally contracted will be given the first preference to represent the country on the international stage. Before reaching this conclusion, 33-year-old Boult went through rigorous rounds of conversations just to have clarity on his workload and his future with the national side. Boult's decision will have a huge effect on New Zealand cricket as T20 leagues are gradually increasing and will coincide with their summer domestic season.
These developments come after a few reports surfaced that Boult will be actively participating in the UAE league. Rumors have it that Boult is in talks with both the UAE and South Africa T20 league franchises. Weighing on the matter New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said that Boult was in their scheme of things for the T20I World Cup which is scheduled to be played in Australia later this year, but as of now things are pretty much uncertain as far as Boult's future with the New Zealand cricket team is concerned
