New Zealand has allowed Martin Guptill to leave the Central Contract List so that he can pursue T20 leagues abroad

On Wednesday, experienced batsman Martin Guptill became the third veteran player to be released from his contract with New Zealand so that he can explore opportunities to play in Twenty20 leagues around the world.

Guptill follows in the footsteps of bowler Trent Boult, 33, and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, 36, who both recently asked to have their contracts with New Zealand Cricket cancelled. Guptill is the third player to do so in as many weeks.

In preparation for the upcoming season of the Twenty20 Big Bash League in Australia, Boult has agreed to play for the Melbourne Stars, while De Grandhomme will be playing for the Adelaide Strikers.

Guptill, who is 36 years old and will still be available to play for New Zealand if they select him, stated that he was now free to “explore other opportunities.” This is similar to Boult and De Grandhomme’s situation.

“Playing for my country has been a massive honor, and I’m grateful to everyone within the Black Caps for their support,” he added. “Playing for my country has been an incredible experience.”

“I am practical enough to recognise the importance of thinking about all of my choices,” I said.

Since 2009, Guptill has participated in international cricket and has racked up more than 2,500 runs in Test matches.

However, the white ball game was where the power batter showed his true potential.

He has scored over 7,000 runs in 198 one-day internationals, with his highest score being 237 not out, which is the second highest individual score in the history of the game.

In Twenty20 internationals, he has played 122 games and has scored 3,531 runs, with a personal high score of 105.

Guptill was a member of the New Zealand Black Caps Twenty20 World Cup squad that competed in Australia earlier this month. However, he did not play because Finn Allen, who is 23 years old, was selected to bat at the top of the order rather than Guptill.

After that, Guptill was taken out of the Twenty20 and ODI series that New Zealand is currently hosting against India.

According to David White, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, “Players such as Martin, Trent, and Colin, with long and successful international track records, inevitably end up with alternative options.”