Brendon McCullum's final call, like a last act of petty defiance, was to have a beer.
On the evening before McCullum was sacked as England's Test head coach, he used his authority to lift the ECB's drinking ban. "I think we'll have a quiet beer and just let this one land," said McCullum, reflecting on England's restorative 4-0 win over India which sent them to the summit of the T20 world rankings. "Just as long as no one lands on the front page."
Hours later, it was McCullum's name in the headlines. The ECB's CEO Richard Gould credited the coach for breathing "new life" into the England Test team over the past four years, but added: "The time is right to make a change as we target victory in The Ashes next summer." McCullum , who will stay on as white-ball coach, said he was "gutted ... but I respect the decision".
The hedonistic destruction of India over recent days stirred memories of those first summer days and everything that was loved about the Bazball era. Wickets, sixes, impossible numbers. Carefree cricket, the entertainers, winning wearing sunglasses and sliders, permanently in holiday mode. Beers by the pool, beers in the pool.
England had been horrendous to watch, to play for, to write about, until McCullum sprinkled some magic dust into the Test arena. He gave Stuart Broad and James Anderson a new lease of life, he made Joe Root see batting from a new perspective. Some of the cricket that followed was incredible, unthinkable: the wild run rates, the bonkers fourth-innings chases. Test cricket reached new fans, old fans, fans tired of watching England collapse in a heap.
On the evening before McCullum was sacked as England's Test head coach, he used his authority to lift the ECB's drinking ban. "I think we'll have a quiet beer and just let this one land," said McCullum, reflecting on England's restorative 4-0 win over India which sent them to the summit of the T20 world rankings. "Just as long as no one lands on the front page."
Hours later, it was McCullum's name in the headlines. The ECB's CEO Richard Gould credited the coach for breathing "new life" into the England Test team over the past four years, but added: "The time is right to make a change as we target victory in The Ashes next summer." McCullum , who will stay on as white-ball coach, said he was "gutted ... but I respect the decision".
The hedonistic destruction of India over recent days stirred memories of those first summer days and everything that was loved about the Bazball era. Wickets, sixes, impossible numbers. Carefree cricket, the entertainers, winning wearing sunglasses and sliders, permanently in holiday mode. Beers by the pool, beers in the pool.
England had been horrendous to watch, to play for, to write about, until McCullum sprinkled some magic dust into the Test arena. He gave Stuart Broad and James Anderson a new lease of life, he made Joe Root see batting from a new perspective. Some of the cricket that followed was incredible, unthinkable: the wild run rates, the bonkers fourth-innings chases. Test cricket reached new fans, old fans, fans tired of watching England collapse in a heap.
3 months ago
