Captain Ben Stokes opted out of the Indian Premier League auction in order to prolong his England career.
In not taking part in the 'mega-auction' held last weekend, the 33-year-old faces being banned from the tournament for the next two seasons under new competition rules.
Speaking before leading England in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Thursday (22:00 GMT, Wednesday), Stokes told BBC Sport: "There's no hiding behind the fact that I'm at the back-end of my career.
"It's about looking at what I've got ahead and making the decision that is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can."
Stokes has been sold for more than £1m in three IPL auctions and was named the tournament's most valuable player for his spell with Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017.
But his more recent career has been plagued by a left-knee issue and he missed four England Tests after sustaining a hamstring injury in August.
Stokes is due to lead England on the Ashes tour of Australia next winter.
The all-rounder has spoken about his personal struggle during England's 2-1 defeat in Pakistan last month, when he endured a disappointing time on the field after returning from the hamstring problem. During the second Test, Stokes' house was burgled with his wife Clare and two children at home.
In Christchurch, the city of Stokes' birth, England begin a three-Test series that will take their total number of matches in 2024 to 17. No England team has ever played more in a calendar year.
The tourists are handing a debut to 21-year-old Warwickshire left-hander Jacob Bethell, who will bat at number three despite never before batting higher than number four in first-class cricket.
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