The impact of Brendon McCullum’s retirement from international cricket on Wednesday was summarized, from an opponent’s perspective, by Australian captain Steve Smith, who didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
On one hand, Smith felt a hazy relief that he may never again have to contend with the challenge of containing McCullum, who at his best has been one of cricket’s genuine match-winners, explosive and unpredictable.
McCullum demonstrated that trait in the second test at Christchurch — his final match — when, with New Zealand’s first innings ailing at 32-3, he struck the fastest century in test cricket history by reaching triple figures from 54 balls.
At the same time, Smith couldn’t hide an indefinable sadness — the sense that with McCullum’s international retirement after a career of 14 years something rare and precious had been lost from the game.
Asked about not having to face McCullum again, Smith said “I’d say it’s pleasing but very disappointing as well.”
“Brendon’s been an absolutely inspirational cricketer and leader for New Zealand,” Smith said. “I think any captain ... you want to change the way your team plays for the better and I think Brendon has certainly done that. What he’s done for the game is absolutely outstanding.”
West Indies great Viv Richards, who held the fastest test century record at 56 deliveries, touched on that same feeling.
“If there was going to be an individual who you would’ve liked to have surpassed whatever you would’ve achieved in life, certainly it would be you,” Richards told McCullum.
It was typical of McCullum and his sense of occasion that he made a mark even in his last international match with a test century of world record quality. But nor could he be pigeonholed as a slogger; while his stroke play in limited-overs formats could be innovative, he also had technique. He scored 12 test centuries and became the first New Zealander to score a test triple century when he reached 302 against India in 2014.