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Brendon McCullum to retire after upcoming Australia series
- Thread starter Bahnz
- Start date
Zinzan
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Like many, surprised he wouldn't want one last crack at a T20 WC title, especially given it's his best form. Although sounds like his rationale was for his swansong to be at home.
Haven't heard the press conference yet, but assuming his body holding up, family & ability to play pro T20 cricket were all factors.
No complaints here, has shed a decent amount of blood and sweat for his country.
Can't remember too many more exciting cricketers, whether he could be frustrating at times or not. Certainly cleared the bar.
Haven't heard the press conference yet, but assuming his body holding up, family & ability to play pro T20 cricket were all factors.
No complaints here, has shed a decent amount of blood and sweat for his country.
Can't remember too many more exciting cricketers, whether he could be frustrating at times or not. Certainly cleared the bar.
Zinzan
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I know very little seems to effect him, but part of me would really like KW to be allowed to be our 'best batsman' for 18-24 months before taking the reins, especially at Test level. Although barring Taylor who'd very likely turn down the offer anyway, I don't see too many other stop-gaps.
Zinzan
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Don't know enough about Henry Nicholls although have heard some good things, and with both Anderson and Neesham suiting no.6 as opposed to 5, the obvious choice is Dean Brownlie for me.
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
wellAlbidarned
International Coach
munrooooooo
Has taken on the appearance of a man who needed a finish line, whether it was a public one or private, had he been able to not declare his retirement in lieu of the T20 squad. Not going the media's route of saying he's mentally checked out, that's poorly summarised for a guy who has always cared deeply about playing for NZ no matter what anyone may think of him. It's more of a mental fatigue he's been battling by the looks, and having an end point hopefully will do wonders for him in the Test series in particular.
Disappointed and a very slight bit surprised he's not going to the T20 World event, when he could've been farewelled in NZ then headed off there before the IPL - not to mention our side is significantly weaker without him. But respect his decision and one he wouldn't have taken lightly.
Disappointed and a very slight bit surprised he's not going to the T20 World event, when he could've been farewelled in NZ then headed off there before the IPL - not to mention our side is significantly weaker without him. But respect his decision and one he wouldn't have taken lightly.
indiaholic
International Captain
Time to get Luke Ronchi back in the side. Would be a travesty if a batsman averaging 59.50 does not get a place.
Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
His body is stuffed.
Matter of time this announcement, but it's a career I've followed closely since I played against him when he was 11 (****ing owned him, by the way.... OK, not true).
Hopefully he smashes a couple more hundies in the next two months.
Flem274*
123/5
He made me yell at the TV (and on CW) a lot for a few years there but he was pretty good really. A genius with the gloves and once he became captain he was a heap of fun with the bat. A player of great innings rather than a great player, but his career average doesn't tell the story of the many roles he filled at all.
He's probably managed the biggest PR turnaround in NZ since Stephen Donald. His most controversial off field moment is well known but on field I personally lost all faith the day he holed out trying to slog Herath for a maximum just before stumps. An amazingly stupid shot, and then two years later he bats for 10 hours to save a test from an impossible position the week after scoring a match winning double hundred.
His legacy will be making cricket cool and fun again in NZ. We won't see the results of that right away but he has inspired a bunch of kids and that's pretty awesome. His superhero batting against Australia in the pool match with a bicep that blocked Johnson bouncers and then in the semi against a fired up South Africa was too cool.
He's probably managed the biggest PR turnaround in NZ since Stephen Donald. His most controversial off field moment is well known but on field I personally lost all faith the day he holed out trying to slog Herath for a maximum just before stumps. An amazingly stupid shot, and then two years later he bats for 10 hours to save a test from an impossible position the week after scoring a match winning double hundred.
His legacy will be making cricket cool and fun again in NZ. We won't see the results of that right away but he has inspired a bunch of kids and that's pretty awesome. His superhero batting against Australia in the pool match with a bicep that blocked Johnson bouncers and then in the semi against a fired up South Africa was too cool.
Nice try cricsim.
Skyliner
International 12th Man
Williamson should assume the test captaincy for the Aussie test series; might as well bring a fresh approach to the fore now and I think he will be a very very astute and calculating captain, whereas McCullum's rash compulsive gambler schtick comes unstuck against the better sides.
McCullum still to play as the number 5 batsman in order to give him his swan song and the 100 consecutive caps thing.
McCullum still to play as the number 5 batsman in order to give him his swan song and the 100 consecutive caps thing.
OverratedSanity
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Haha. Legit read this in Rock's voice imitating Rikishi's voice.
I did it for the likes.
Moss
International Vice-Captain
Yeah, this.
Moss
International Vice-Captain
Won't lie, I',m a bit disappointed that he didn't round things off with the World T20. But in a way it's an oddly reassuring feeling that a guy who has often been dismissed by fans (both in NZ and outside it would seem) as a T20 mercenary prototype should bring back a sort of old-school romanticism back to cricket, turn things around for his country, and sign off with a test match against the old enemy at the expense of the shorter format world cup.
Despite all his faults (and there are many), been a fan of his for his willingness to take on so many roles often to get the best out of himself but almost always with the team's interest at heart.
To jog everyone's memory, he started off in that VB series in 2002 as a very awkward top order batsman who didn't look like he belonged, but a year later he was back in the side as a keeper of flawed brilliance and inventive lower-order batting. Then came the graduation to the test side and improvement with the gloves and batting. By the time the Fleming era ended he was arguably the best keeper in the world , and moved back to the top of the order to fill the void after the departure of Fleming/Astle. Even batted at number 3 or 5 in the test side (tour to England in 2008), with some success when the side were short of quality batsmen. When the back problems surfaced (early 2010) he played for the most part as a specialist opener and actually did better than any of his peers. Then of course the captaincy and the move back to the middle order which certainly brought some unprecedented results.
While he wasn't necessarily of the first rank in most of these roles, the bottom line is it's hard to find any cricketer in recent times who was prepared to reinvent himself so much in the service of his team and career. You wish the fans who keep calling him "selfish" and "overrated" would stop to remember that. Versatile is the word for him.
Despite all his faults (and there are many), been a fan of his for his willingness to take on so many roles often to get the best out of himself but almost always with the team's interest at heart.
To jog everyone's memory, he started off in that VB series in 2002 as a very awkward top order batsman who didn't look like he belonged, but a year later he was back in the side as a keeper of flawed brilliance and inventive lower-order batting. Then came the graduation to the test side and improvement with the gloves and batting. By the time the Fleming era ended he was arguably the best keeper in the world , and moved back to the top of the order to fill the void after the departure of Fleming/Astle. Even batted at number 3 or 5 in the test side (tour to England in 2008), with some success when the side were short of quality batsmen. When the back problems surfaced (early 2010) he played for the most part as a specialist opener and actually did better than any of his peers. Then of course the captaincy and the move back to the middle order which certainly brought some unprecedented results.
While he wasn't necessarily of the first rank in most of these roles, the bottom line is it's hard to find any cricketer in recent times who was prepared to reinvent himself so much in the service of his team and career. You wish the fans who keep calling him "selfish" and "overrated" would stop to remember that. Versatile is the word for him.
