After Williamson, these two veterans also suddenly left the New Zealand team, refused to take the central contract

After the shameful performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, the New Zealand team is getting one setback after another. On the one hand, the team captain and veteran batsman Kane Williamson resigned from the captaincy and rejected the New Zealand Cricket Board's central contract. At the same time, after him, two other players have also separated themselves from the team and decided not to take the central contract.

Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and veteran pacer Trent Boult, who recently wrought havoc against Papua New Guinea, have also elected to opt out of the New Zealand Cricket Board's central contract for the 2024-25 season. If these players do not sign the central contract, they will be ineligible for selection in any bilateral series or tournament.

The central contract of New Zealand Cricket requires players to remain committed to playing domestic Super Smash tournament (T20 competition) in addition to international cricket, however, Bolt-Neesham, Williamson, and Ferguson did not want this.

Trent Bolt has already confirmed that the current T20 World Cup will be his last. Apart from this, Bolt was also not a part of the previous central contract. Bolt did this to play franchise cricket leagues running around the world. But now Lockie Ferguson has also excluded himself from the central contract. There has been no statement from Ferguson yet as to why he did this.

In such a situation, now these three veterans will not be a part of the Kiwi team in the coming times. New Zealand will be a big setback due to the exit of these three together. However, despite being out of the contract, Neesham went on a tour of Pakistan. In such a situation, these players can also give their names for selection whenever they want.

According to New Zealand Cricket, Kane Williamson will be available for the remaining eight matches of New Zealand in the current cycle of the World Test Championship. In this championship, New Zealand will once again try to play the final, which will be played at Lord's in June next year.