Published: Dec 22, 2015, 01:14 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 22, 2015, 01:15 PM (IST)
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum is all set to bow out of international cricket after playing a couple of Tests against Australia in February 2016. He will not play the ICC World T20 2016 in India, which will mean that Kane Williamson will takeover the reins from McCullum and lead New Zealand in the World Cup. McCullum will however be a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he will be a part of the newly-formed Rajkot franchise. McCullum has played 99 continuous Tests since debut, most by any player, surpassing Ab de Villiers’ 98. He will therefore finish after having played 101 continuous Tests for New Zealand. READ: Brendon McCullum to quit international cricket following Test series against Australia
Many from across the world have paid tribute to Brendon McCullum through Twitter. Many of them are taken aback as he has retired from all formats with just a few months to go for the ICC World T20 2016. McCullum is the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals (T20I) with over 2,000 runs and is the only player to have scored two T20I centuries. READ: Brendon McCullum: One of the biggest impact players bows out of international cricket
While announcing his retirement, McCullum said,”“Ideally, I would have preferred to wait until after the Test in Christchurch to make this news public. However, the schedule for naming the ICC World T20 squads means I couldn’t have managed this without causing a lot of confusion and speculation, something I was keen to avoid,” he said.
Congratulations Brendon McCullum, a great role model & game changer as a batsman & captain. #McCullumRetirement @BLACKCAPS
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) December 22, 2015
Brendon McCullum has been good for cricket and he has enriched it. In doing so he has raised the esteem his country’s cricket is held in.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 22, 2015
So @MccullumNathan and Brendon McCullum retire in the same season! #congratulations #greatservants
— Scott Styris (@scottbstyris) December 22, 2015
However the big-hitter, with a Test best innings of 302 and co-holder of the world record of 100 Test sixes with Australian Adam Gilchrist, said now was not the time for him to dwell on his achievements. “There’s a time and place for reflection and that’s at the end of your career,” he said.
