(Football news) The Kiwis are yet to announce their squad for this year's T20I World Cup but it will be interesting to see if the premier players are going to compete in the T20I World Cup which is to be played in Australia in October. Just before the start of the T20 World Cup and the appeal of major T20 leagues around the globe it seems like cricketers have started to prioritise the league-based format as compared to their international cricket.

With Ben Stokes retiring from ODI cricket earlier this year and New Zealand's top fast bowler Trent Boult declining the central contract, the future of cricket seems to be entering uncharted territory. After the success of BBL, PSL, and IPL, now big leagues starting in Dubai and South Africa they are bound to make the international cricket schedule even busier. The New Zealand cricket team seem to be running out of steam, stumbling in latest standings following the trend of opting out of the hectic international schedule. New Zealand's best all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has also now opted out of New Zealand's central contract and is a free agent. 

The left-handed batsman has been an integral part of the Blackcaps team and provides a much needed balance. Earlier, Trent Boult had opted out of his central contract to shift his attention towards franchise-based cricket and said that it has always been a matter of great pride to him to play for the Kiwis but now it's time to shift his focus and dedicate some time to family. It is going to be an interesting watch to see how the New Zealand squad looks in this year's T20I World Cup as many uncapped players might get the chance to play in the biggest stage of all.

"I know the news of my decision to decline the central contract will be seen as me choosing money over representing my country. I had initially planned to accept the central contract in July. However, after being left off the list I have committed to other leagues around the world. Nonetheless, it was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I have decided to honour those commitments rather than going back and signing the central contract. Playing for the national team has been a matter of great pride to me and I remain fully committed to taking the field with my compatriots for the foreseeable future, especially in pinnacle world events" said Neesham 

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