Steve Waugh believes Brendon McCullum could still play Test matches

Apr 20, 2016 at 6:25 PM

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Steve Waugh believes Brendon McCullum could still play Test matches

Former world cup winning Australian captain Steve Waugh believed that former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum could play more Test cricket. Waugh also stated why McCullum took retirement from the international cricket.

Waugh said on it, “Somebody like Brendon McCullum retired from Test cricket even though I feel he still had three-four years in him. He is just working for superannuation right now, for his family, which is alright. Overall I feel there is no loyalty to the team, there is loyalty to money now. I don’t blame the players but it’s tough on the fans.”

Brendon McCullum decided to take retirement from the international cricket just before World T20 2016.

When the talks came about the balanced side in all formats, Waugh chose Australia, India, and England in that list.

Waugh said, “I think Australia is the closest when it comes to striking a balance, India has the potential and England is also coming up nicely…I think it’s impossible to strike a perfect balance given that there are three different teams. It’s not realistic. I don’t think there would ever be one world no.1 in all three formats of the game.”

Waugh also said that West Indies is the perfect example that how T20 affected the other cricket formats. Waugh said, “There is a danger and we all know that. Look at West Indies. The incentive to play T20 cricket is so much more than Test cricket.”

Waugh also praised Australian cricket for giving importance to the Test cricket more than T20 cricket. Waugh said, “I appreciate that we put Test cricket on a pedestal and because of that probably T20 has suffered but I respect Cricket Australia for giving primacy to Test cricket.  As a result, we didn’t have a settled line-up in World T20 and we got what we deserved. I guess there will be a shakeup and we will pay T20s a bit more respect.”

On the other hand, former England captain Ian Botham said that T20 cricket should be kept at the “bottom of the self”. Botham said, “Test cricket is number one because it ebbs and flows beautifully but there is a shelf life for every format. And I feel Twenty20 should be at the bottom of the shelf. People are saying it was a great World Twenty20 final last month. I say it was a great last four balls, the rest of the final was a drag. I think it was a pretty poor final.”

England lost the final of World T20 2016 against West Indies. West Indies needed 19 runs in the last over where Caribbean batsman Carlos Braithwaite hit 4 sixes in the first 4 balls of that final over to England bowler Ben Stokes and clinched the trophy dramatically into the West Indies favour.

Botham added in his statement, “That’s a real threat. T20 could become a lottery because cricket is much more than just 20 overs. Crowds like it but then crowds like Test cricket too. In England every big Test series is sold out, it’s the same in Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. I think players have to remind people of how important Test cricket is. Players have the obligation to look after Test cricket.”

Botham also said that he is concerned about the fortune of ODI cricket in the wake of the T20 storm. Botham added, “I am concerned about what might happen to ODIs. It’s a format I like because it also ebbs and flows like Tests. There is a need to get that balance but I don’t think it’s going to be easy.”

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