Black Caps say no to Trent Boult after pace stocks take a hit

Black Caps coach Gary Stead has defended the selection of Scott Kuggeleijn over not turning to uncontracted veteran Trent Boult for the opening test against England in Mount Maunganui starting tomorrow afternoon.

The Black Caps have had to call in two new pace options after Kyle Jamieson pulled out of the series after the discovery of a stress fracture in his back. Matt Henry will miss the first test at Bay Oval as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Stead called in Jacob Duffy and Kuggeleijn into the squad as they will battle fellow potential debutant Blair Tickner as the third pace option alongside captain Tim Southee and Neil Wagner.

Duffy has been included on the past two Black Caps test tours to England and is the second top wicket-taker at the halfway stage of the Plunket Shield with 22 wickets and two five-wicket hauls to his name. He took an impressive 7-107 against Northern in October.

Kuggeleijn brings pace but also a lack of wickets this season. He has just four wickets in 75 overs in the Plunket Shield at an average 64.00. Doug Bracewell’s availability is unclear due to flooding in Hawke’s Bay, but he was part of the recent ODI squad in Pakistan and has a much better record this season in Plunket Shield than Kuggeleijn, with 20 wickets at an average of 17.55.

There’s also the complicating factor that Kuggeleijn is a controversial selection. He was found not guilty of rape in 2017 after facing two trials. Despite the not guilty verdict, he faced a hostile reception from some fans and commentators the following summer when signs and banners were unveiled at grounds to protest his selection.

Stead defended the call-up and the decision not to bring the uncontracted Boult, who lives in Mount Maunganui, into the squad.

“I get given the players I can choose from and we have gone with a resilient character from a bowling point of view and he is a guy when you lose two key bowlers, you look around and ask who are the guys who can do a job for us internationally and he is one who can,” said Stead about Kuggeleijn.

Kuggeleijn’s international experience consists of two ODIs in 2017 and 18 Twenty20s, the last of which was in 2021 against Bangladesh.

After being released from his New Zealand central contract last year, Boult hoped his test career might continue and pointed out that the first England test will be at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval, his home ground. He said at the time of his contract release he would respect New Zealand’s position on his test future.

“We have spoken to Trent Boult recently and it has been decided since he gave up his contract that we will give priority to the locally contracted players and we have done that on this occasion,” said Stead.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission