Black Cap Martin Guptill celebrates after reaching his century against Ireland during a one-day international in Dublin in 2022. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The Black Caps were not picking him because he went down the freelance route and was released from his central contract in November 2022 to ``pursue playing opportunities elsewhere''.
But he was still scoring runs in the various T20 tournaments around the world.
His international retirement announcement hit the email boxes of the country's newsrooms yesterday, more than two years after he had last played for his country.
Colin Munro got the same treatment. He formally retired in May, four years after last suiting up for the Black Caps.
New Zealand Cricket sure loves a ``managed retirement''.
Let's not revisit the Neil Wagner saga right now. Instead, it is an opportunity to reflect on Guptill's tremendous white-ball career.
He ranks among our best ODI players.
His 7346 runs (at an average of 41.73, including 18 centuries) in the format is the third most by a New Zealand player.
Only Ross Taylor (8607 at 47.55) and Stephen Fleming (8007 at 32.41) have scored more runs.
That trademark, head down, lofted six will stick in the memories of New Zealand cricket fans.
Bowlers around the globe paid the price for over-pitching. And Guptill's athleticism in the field was a huge asset as well.
His international T20 career was almost unparalleled in New Zealand.
He sits comfortably at the top of the scoring list. His 3531 runs at 31.81 are almost 1000 runs more than Kane Williamson's tally of 2575.
Guptill never convinced in test cricket. There were too many people in catching positions behind the stumps and he was vulnerable against short-pitched bowling.
Still, he played 47 tests for his country and notched three centuries and 17 half-centuries.
His average is under 30 and he is not making any all-time test XIs any time soon.
But his contribution in limited-overs cricket was immense.
The 38-year-old played 367 games across the three formats from 2009 to 2022.
"As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country," Guptill said.
"I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys.''
For many, Guptill burst on to the international scene in 2009 when he became the first New Zealander to score a century on ODI debut.
A year earlier he demonstrated his class when he scored a hundred for Auckland in the one-day final against Otago.
Unfortunately, for him, that was the match Brendon McCullum flayed 170 to secure the title for the Volts.
Guptill played one of the greatest World Cup innings, smashing 237 not out against the West Indies in the 2015 quarterfinal at Wellington Stadium.
He is the only Black Caps batter to score an ODI double ton and he has three of the top four highest scores for the Black Caps.
The right-hander also clubbed two T20 international centuries.
His power and timing helped him clobber 1385 fours and 383 sixes during his international career.
Guptill consistently set the standard for the field, and among his many extraordinary feats was his stunning direct hit to run out Mahendra Dhoni during the Black Caps semifinal win over India at the 2019 World Cup.
We all wish he was a yard or three faster in that super over during the final but it really was a hopeful effort that. Usain Bolt would not have made it.
Guptill's wonderful career will be acknowledged during the Black Caps' third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Park tomorrow.
He is playing for the Auckland Aces in this season's Super Smash and will continue to ply his trade in T20 franchise cricket for the foreseeable future.
