Brendon McCullum has been credited with defining how New Zealand play their cricket, but the former captain hailed the role of Kane Williamson in bringing consistency and direction to the side.
“My style of leadership, when I was leading New Zealand, was quite consuming. It is, sort of, to go after everything. I think Kane was preparing to take the team to a more consistent level and he has done that,” said McCullum.
Following the ball-tampering scandal, New Zealand’s brand of cricket – attacking and attractive, but played in good spirit – was held up as one more teams should aim for. Williamson, who led the side to a historic Test series win at home against England, had stressed on the influence of McCullum in establishing the team culture.
As Bangalore prepare to play their first home game of the season, it isn’t lost on McCullum that he will be turning out for the same team against whom 10 years ago he set the tone for the league and changed the landscape of T20 batting with a blistering unbeaten 158.
“I think that 158, it is not normal to do that kind of thing. The first few years it took me a while to deal with the expectations because it. Not just from other people, but myself as well,” he said.
“Once you realise it is one of those days which does not come around very often, you bank the experience and the good feeling from it. You can’t hold yourself to expect that that’s what you are going to do each time you go out there.”
