Tim Southee drops bombshell on his future in international cricket after New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2024 exit

Veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee was named 'Player of the Match' for his exceptional three-wicket haul during his team’s dominant nine-wicket win over Uganda in their Group C match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Southee expressed his disappointment at the Black Caps’ elimination from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 after their consistent performances over the past decade in the global tournament.

The New Zealand cricket team opened their account with a dominant nine-wicket victory against Uganda in their Group C match in Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, after their first two setbacks in the mega event.

Tim Southee shines with a three-wicket haul in New Zealand’s dominant win over Uganda

The fiery spells from pace duo Southee (3/4), Trent Boult (2/7), Mitchell Santner (1/8), and Rachin Ravindra (2/9) helped the Black Caps restrict Uganda to 40 inside 19 overs, while Kenneth Waiswa (11) managed to cross the 10-run mark in the match.

Later, Devon Conway’s unbeaten 22 runs guided the New Zealand team to an easy win over Uganda in the one-sided affair in Trinidad and Tobago. Finn Allen also contributed 9 runs off 17 balls to the team's stunning win over Uganda.

After the match on Saturday, Southee acknowledged the Kiwi team's clinical performance against Uganda, emphasizing the importance of winning the games despite their early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. He noted that it was challenging to hit the stumps with variable bounce on a tricky pitch at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Furthermore, Southee reflected on the New Zealand team's overall disappointment at being eliminated from the ongoing T20 World Cup after being outplayed in the first two games, which brought an end to their proud record in the World Cup.

Tim Southee drops major hint about his international future

Speaking about his future in international cricket, Southee stressed that he felt physically well after a refreshing break leading into the T20 World Cup and reaffirmed his love for playing cricket for New Zealand.

He expressed his passion for the game, hinting that fans might still see more of him on the international stage. The pacer said that he still enjoys having time on the field.

Tim Southee said in the post-match presentation: “It was a pretty clinical performance, was nice to get a win. It has been a bit tricky, just try to hit the stumps with variable bounce. We are disappointed to find ourselves out of the tournament. We were outplayed in the first two games; we have a proud record in World Cups and that has now come to an end. I got a nice break leading into this World Cup. My body is feeling well, I love playing for New Zealand. Dream to play cricket and I still enjoy it, so you never know.”

Notably, with this win over Uganda, New Zealand is in the third spot in the Group C points table with two points to their name from three games, losing two games against Afghanistan and the West Indies. However, the Black Caps are not in contention for the Super-8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in 2024. They will play their final game in the tournament against Papua New Guinea (PNG) at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia on June 18.