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Lockie Ferguson 'committed' to playing for New Zealand despite turning down central contract: 'Playing World Cups is...'
New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson insists that despite his commitment to T20 leagues, his love of representing New Zealand is right up there.
India and England produced some riveting and thrilling action across 45 days in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The five-match series ended at 2-2, and the skills that were on display once again proved why there is no sport quite like Test cricket. Several renowned cricketers from India, England and Australia view Test cricket to be the pinnacle; however, one cannot deny the reality of the current times. The growing T20 leagues around the world threaten to put international cricket at risk, with several cricketers continuing to opt out of central contracts to make themselves available for these leagues.
Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne are some of the biggest New Zealand stars who have let go of central contracts in recent times to make themselves available for franchise leagues all around the world. This growing trend raises questions about the sanctity of international cricket. Ferguson, who will soon be seen in The Hundred for the Trent Rockets, said he might have opted out of the central contracts list, but playing for New Zealand continues to remain his top priority as he seeks to find a perfect balance between the two.
India, Australia, and England are three of the richest cricket boards, and they can offer their players good money, keeping them away from lucrative offers from various franchises all around the world. However, other boards do not have this luxury, and hence, stars from teams South Africa, New Zealand, and the West Indies are skipping international cricket and becoming globe-trotters, playing different leagues, which is becoming the norm.
"I just think they're finding a balance between the two, to be honest. I think some boards sort of handle it differently. But from my point of view, I'm still very committed to playing for New Zealand. I still love playing for my country. And it's just about finding the balance, however that might be. After this, I go home and have a bit of a stint back with New Zealand. We've got three series back there," Ferguson said while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a select media roundtable.
"So, hopefully take the park. As I said, it's nice to play in your home conditions. It doesn't happen as much as it used to, which is the good thing about playing a lot of franchise cricket. But yeah, I think from all points of view, playing World Cups is still very much the pinnacle. And although we enjoy playing franchise, I think getting back and playing for your nation is something special," he added.
IPL owners' investment in the Hundred
There's been some renewed buzz for the Hundred this year following Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners' investment in some of the teams. The GMR Group, which co-owns the Delhi Capitals team, have a stake in the Southern Brave team. The RPSG Group, which owns the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), will have a 70 percent stake in the Manchester Originals, and the Sun TV Network Limited (owners of SunRisers Hyderabad) will have a 100 percent stake in the Northern Superchargers. Reliance Group's 49 per cent stake in the Oval Invincibles is also only a matter of time. Hence, Ferguson sees exciting times ahead for the tournament.
"I think it's great for the game. Obviously, first and foremost brings a lot of investment into the game, particularly in England. But, you know, clearly the IPL has run a very successful tournament for a long time," said Ferguson. "And I think the ownership groups adding that sort of knowledge and sort of making the 100 a bit more of a franchise league in that sense is exciting for the game," added the 34-year-old tearaway quick.
Lastly, Ferguson also spoke highly about the Trent Rockets' squad this time around, saying the side has the arsenal to win the competition.
"We've got a good squad. There's no doubt about it. A good group of lads, they've been connecting very well early on and obviously a great ground to play at. So, yeah, we'll look forward to the first game on Friday and take it from there.
But certainly, a good group and I'm looking forward to getting on the park with them," said the speedster.
Watch The Hundred 2025 (Men's): London Spirit vs. Oval Invincibles on 5 August 2025 from 11 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD.
