Black Caps: Lockie Ferguson not giving up on international career, targets next T20 World Cup

Even as one of a handful of star players without a New Zealand Cricket central contract, Lockie Ferguson says he’s far from finished as a Black Cap.

Since giving up his contract in the middle of 2024, Ferguson is currently plying his trade as a freelancer in various Twenty20 leagues around the world.

From stints with the Sydney Thunder in the Australian Big Bash League, to Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, the 33-year-old is a sought-after commodity at T20 auctions and drafts, as cricket continues to shift towards a club-over-country structure.

However, having made more than 100 appearances for his country across all three formats, Ferguson isn’t content in following the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, in opting to step back from internationals.

At his best, Ferguson is one of a handful of bowlers who can touch 150km/h with ball in hand.

And even though Ben Sears has emerged as the heir to the mantle of New Zealand’s fastest bowler, Ferguson’s experience at the highest level makes him a must-have come the biggest moments.

The only issue, though, is his lack of a contract.

While former NZ Cricket chief executive David White appeared prepared to draw a hard line in only selecting players who have committed to the national organisation above all else, current boss Scott Weenink has been more understanding of the realities of the modern game.

Ferguson, along with Kane Williamson and Devon Conway, was picked for New Zealand’s 15-man squad for this year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai, despite not being on full central contracts.

And with another T20 World Cup to be held in India at the start of 2026, Ferguson told the Alternative Commentary Collective’s Agenda podcast that he remains committed to the Black Caps, if and when they come calling.

“I’ll hopefully keep playing, I want to play for New Zealand still,” Ferguson said.

“It’s hard, I’ve sort of put myself in the position on both sides. There’s opportunities with franchises – New Zealand cricketers, relative to other nations, don’t get paid as much.

“There’s opportunity there financially when you get to the back end of your career. At the same time, we all want to play for New Zealand, we all want to win a World Cup. That’s a major driver for us.

“How does that work? It’s above my pay grade. But from my point of view, I just try to be honest and say I’m available for these times, and try to work with NZC and the coach at the time.”

Should he get the call-up, Ferguson could add to his record at T20 World Cups, which included becoming the first player to bowl four maidens in a single game at a men’s tournament when he took 3-0 against Papua New Guinea last year.

Meanwhile, in what he admits are the final days of his career, Ferguson has already begun to plan for what’s next.

As a means of giving back to the game, Ferguson is in the process of launching his own app, YorkerCo, as a resource for up-and-coming fast bowlers. YorkerCo is already active on Instagram and TikTok, with YouTube to come.

And as his playing career begins to wind down, Ferguson is hoping he can use his own experiences, which have included more than his fair share of injuries, to give back to the next generation wanting to lace up a pair of bowling boots.

“You get to the back end of your career, and I get so many questions from young bowlers and their parents like ‘what can I do to be a fast bowler? What are the things to work on?’

“There are technical things for sure, but the tracking of how many balls you bowl a week is probably the No 1 thing. You can bowl quick, you can adjust your technique over time.

“[But] I just see so many young kids getting injured. I’m seeing 14, 15-year-old kids getting stress fractures in their back. You’ll say ‘that’s part of being a fast bowler’, but why? Kids can be bowling up to 40 overs a week, without really thinking about it.

“From my point of view, it’s early stages. But if I can try to educate kids from a fun point of view, make sure they’re interested – I’m very aware 16-year-old kids aren’t going to listen about bowling loads – but even if we just talk about it more, it might sink in a little bit.

“Then, hopefully, we’ll create more fast bowlers who bowl faster for longer, and win a World Cup one day.”

Regardless of how his career finishes, Ferguson still has one milestone he wants to tick off before hanging up the boots for good.

Since his debut in 2016, Ferguson has played 65 times for New Zealand in one day international cricket and is currently stranded on 99 wickets.

With T20 commitments and no central contract, there is little guarantee Ferguson will play another 50-over game for the Black Caps.

But like he’s doing with T20s, Ferguson hopes to get one last crack to break back into New Zealand’s ODI plans.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of dips the last year, trying to get back into the side.

“Injuries have got the better of me, unfortunately. I’m not sure, I might end up [stuck on] 99.

“We’ll see how the next year plays out.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.