Martin Guptill might have walked out on his central contract with the New Zealand cricket board and signed with the Melbourne Renegades, but he isn't done with his international career yet.
The veteran New Zealand opening batsman, who has played 47 Tests, 198 ODIs and 122 T20Is for his country, didn't play for New Zealand during the T20 World Cup in Australia despite being in the 15-man squad, and was also then left on the sidelines for a recent home T20 series against India.
While New Zealand will now prepare for a tour of Pakistan, then home Tests against England following the completion of an ongoing ODI series at home against India, the island nation will be doing so without Guptill.
The 36-year-old, who has scored a grand total of 8569 runs in T20 cricket from 303 matches - making him one of the highest run-getters of all-time in the format - said he wants bulk runs to push his way back into the Black Caps side for future matches in the shortest format as his career winds down.
"It's all about playing as much cricket as I can while I've got only got a few years left in the game," he said.
"I need to be playing as much cricket as possible and I guess being on the outer of the international team at the moment, I just needed to go away and find some cricket and get back playing.
"If I can do that and score some big runs and hopefully win some games for the Renegades, it's going to be great start to getting back in."
Guptill did, however, admit that he was sad to walk away from his contract with New Zealand.
"I've loved playing for New Zealand and loved being part of what we've achieved over the last decade or so since I've been in the side and it's sad to have walked away from the contract, but it also opens up different avenues," the batsman said.
"The door is not closed on me playing for New Zealand again, so hopefully I've got my foot in there still and I can score some runs and get back in there.
"I want to keep playing on, keep contributing to teams and if that's a way of getting back into the New Zealand team and the New Zealand setup, then that's the way it's going to be so I just want to try and play as much as I can."
The Renegades launch their BBL campaign on December 15 in Cairns against the Brisbane Heat.
