Had a lot more to give to NZ cricket, am a bit disappointed how it ended: Guptill after retirement

Auckland: Just-retired Martin Guptill reckons he had a lot more to offer to New Zealand cricket and was “disappointed” with how his career ended.

One of the most accomplished white-ball players to emerge from New Zealand, Guptill, scored 7,346 runs from 198 ODI matches with 18 hundreds and 39 fifties. The 38-year-old also competed in 122 T20I for the Blackcaps, scoring 3,531 runs with two hundreds and 20 fifties.

Guptill last played for the Blackcaps in 2022. He gave back his contract to explore opportunities in the various T20 leagues around the world after it became clear that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) wanted to blood younger players.

He did not find place in the squad for the 2023 World Cup in India and went without international cricket for two years before announcing his retirement.

“It is what it is, and the decisions that have been made around it. Obviously I would have loved to have played a lot more, I feel like I had a lot more to give New Zealand Cricket and the Black Caps,” Guptill was quoted as saying by The New Zealand Herald on Thursday.

“I’m a little bit disappointed with how it all ended, but I’ve got to move forward and move on,” he added.

The first New Zealander to smash a century on his ODI debut, and also the first to hit a double-century in the format during the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal against the West Indies.

The cricketer, who ran out Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the 2019 World Cup, ending the Indian super star’s international career, said he always prided his black cap.

“One of my proudest moments was to get a black cap, and that sits proudly at home.” The charismatic cricketer also added he always loved playing as an opener.

“I had the opportunity to keep batting at five, but I wanted to go back to the top. I’ve got no regrets, I gave it a good shot. I had so much fun doing it.