Martin Guptill hangs boot from international cricket
Renowned New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill has confirmed his international retirement at the age of 38 on Wednesday. He last represented the national side in a five-match T20I series against Bangladesh in October 2022 and will feature in franchise tournaments across the globe.
One of the finest top-order batters from the heart of New Zealand, Guptill is their third-highest run-getter after Ross Taylor and Stephen Fleming. He finished his career with 7346 runs from 198 matches at an impressive average of 41.73. In the T20I format, the 38-year-old is the highest run-scorer for New Zealand, with 3531 runs at 31.81.
"As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country," Guptill said in an NZC statement. "I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys. I want to say a huge thanks to all my team-mates and coaching staff over the years, in particular Mark O'Donnell who has coached me since the Under-19 level and been a source of ongoing support and wisdom over my career…Finally, I'd like to thank all the cricket fans, here in NZ and around the world for all their support throughout the years,” Guptill expressed.
The former Kiwi cricketer’s batting average dropped to 28.71 and 29.59 in 2020 and 2022 despite scoring 761 runs in 22 matches across formats in 2021. Following a below-par five-match T20I series outing against Bangladesh, Guptill never returned to the international fold with the selectors more interested in exploring Finn Allen’s abilities.