What comes to your mind with the name of Brendon McCullum, an amazing wicketkeeper turned into an explosive batsman? The ever triple centurion in New Zealand test cricket history after Martin Crowe (299)? Or the captain with vision through his pyrotechnics skills behind the stumps?
Born on 27 September 1981, the former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum has captained the New Zealand cricket team across the formats throughout his career. McCullum made his ODI debut in 2002 followed by his test debut in 2004.
What is the attribute to rate the greatness of a player, the standout abilities, or the runs followed by the records he has established in his Cricket career?
If we go by the records or runs there have been many names in New Zealand cricket history to gossip about but if we talk about the abilities the name of swashbuckling batsman Brendon McCullum comes to mind easily.
When we go through the smart wicket keepers in the history of cricket the names of Kumar Sangakara, Mark Boucher, Adam Gilchrist, or even MS Dhoni with their athletic abilities take them to the top of the bar.
But it was Brendon McCullum who has rocket launched the new form of cricket with his fireworks behind the stumps. Apart from the fireworks, there is a kind of faith in his whirlwind batting which made what was impossible in every human mind when he came out to bat.
A player like Nathan Astle was in the late years of his cricket career when the young dynamic Brendon McCullum joined the New Zealand side and everyone was expecting will the side be ever successful like the 90s era? Expectations always kill the talent but it was Brendon McCullum’s confidence with his inner self-belief which has been the big reason for the success of New Zealand for more than one decade in international cricket. The New Zealand team remained the underdogs in cricket but it was Brendon McCullum who turned them the force to reckon with and over 6000 runs in Test and ODI cricket Brendon McCullum is one of the greatest cricketers in cricket history who has won many accolades for his whirlwind batting.
As a cricketer what’s the approach of a player to say goodbye to cricket in his last test match. Go out there and play the innings without worry about the match result or take some time out there and hit few shots that’s all. With the name of Brendon McCullum, these such things never work out as he put on everyone on a note in his last test innings why there will be no one like Brendon McCullum ever. New Zealand already lost the first test match against Australia and when Brendon McCullum came into rescued his side after the early dents from visitors the scoreboard was 32 runs for the loss of 3 wickets. With Kane Williamson already there Brendon McCullum took some time to get settled there but once he gets going Australia’s bowlers’ were clueless against Brendon McCullum who scored the fastest test century in cricket history in just 54 balls to makes it to the history books.
Earlier fastest test century record was with former West Indies player Viv Richards (56) followed by former Pakistan player Misbah ul Haq (56) balls century.
While before the 2015 World Cup, Brendon McCullum became the first-ever New Zealand player to score a triple hundred in test cricket history when he scored 302 runs against India and helped the team to draw the test match. While after scoring triple century Brendon McCullum said,
“My innings was what was required at that stage (94/5). We were scrapping to save the Test and therefore win the series, and we managed to get some partnerships under pressure. And then kept batting and batting and batting. So it was pretty satisfying to get us out of trouble and claim the series win,”
“I wasn’t feeling nervous until I saw the size of the crowd. That’s probably when I understood the magnitude of the task at hand and the immense joy it gives fans of this cricket team to see guys succeed and see records broken,”
Without being disrespectful I probably didn’t know the magnitude of it until the last 24 hours. I grew up and watched the New Zealand cricket team for years,” he said.
“I watched Martin Crowe score his 299 and thought it would have been an amazing feat if he scored 300 but probably didn’t quite understand how much it meant to the whole country who support this team. I also spoke to Stephen Fleming last night. I feel a little bit embarrassed because I’m nowhere near the calibre of players they were”
