I Have Absolutely No Regrets At All About Retiring: Brendon McCullum

Jan 28, 2019 at 3:00 PM

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I Have Absolutely No Regrets At All About Retiring: Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum has said he does not regret the decision to quit international cricket so early in his career.

The former New Zealand skipper took the cricketing fraternity by surprise with his unexpected decision to retire from international cricket, at the age of 34, just ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in March-April in India last year. Actually, his decision to retire so early did not surprise many but it was the timing that had left everyone shell-shocked. The explosive batsman, who had scored the fastest-ever Test century in his final Test, was going very strong at the international stage and nobody was expecting such a decision from the captain who had completely transformed New Zealand cricket.

Two years prior to his retirement, he became New Zealand’s first triple-centurion, against India. He was also the first New Zealand batsman to reach 1000 runs in a calendar year in 2014, having also hit a double-century against Pakistan, and 195 against Sri Lanka that year.  He also led New Zealand to their first World Cup final in 2015. But his fairytale ride in international came to a premature end, at least for the cricket fraternity, when he decided to hang his boots last year. However, the 35-year old has little regrets over his decision. He has continued playing in T20 leagues all over the world and is currently gearing up to lead Lahore Qalandars in the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Speaking to PakPassion.net, he said:“I have absolutely no regrets at all about retiring. I had a great time playing international cricket but then like everything else in life, good things must come to an end. The timing of my retirement was right for the team and it was a good point for myself to move on, and for someone else to take over the captaincy. The new captain, Kane Williamson, was definitely the right man for the job and he’s done a great job already so far. It’s also a great feeling to support New Zealand from afar as well.”

When asked about whether he is excited to play in the PSL for the first time, he said:“Yes, frankly I can’t wait for it to start. It’s the first time I’ve been involved in the PSL. I’ve been here for around a week and have got to meet the guys and have got to know the squad members pretty quickly. It’s been a cool environment to be a part of, so far. We can’t guarantee success but we certainly are going into this tournament with the right team spirit and have most boxes ticked in terms of our preparation, so let’s see how we go in the coming days.”

The former Kiwi captain also shed some lights on different approaches while leading a team in Tests and T20s.

 

“The main difference is in the pace of play and the level of risk you must operate at to win such games. Twenty20 cricket forces you to operate at a higher intensity and has a level of risk which is something I love that about playing these Twenty20 leagues. You’re constantly making decisions and taking educated gambles in the hope that, at the end of the game, these calls allow your team to come out on top. It’s completely different from Test cricket but you still require the ability to understand where the game is going and try and stay in front of it.

“Test cricket, on the other hand, has an element of thoroughness and requires longer planning in terms of your strategy. Twenty20 is good fun and it’s not just on the field, but the environment off the field; the language you talk and discussions you have with the players needs to be consistent. You need to try and allow them to have a good time, play with freedom and go out there and push the envelope and display their skill-set which will allow them to perform at their best,” he added.

 

The newly-appointed skipper also hoped to have a better campaign with his team. Lahore Qalandars finished at the bottom of the table last season and will be hoping to put up a good show under their new skipper.

 

Speaking of his team’s chances, he said:“Yes, we can and that is what we are here for. But then there are four other teams that are also pretty keen to win it as well so we’re respectful of that. Those teams have some outstanding cricketers, both globally and internationally as well. As for us, we’ll be well prepared and function as a tight unit on the field and off it as well. We’ll give it our best and hopefully, things will happen to our satisfaction.”

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