Your guide in how to handle the McCullum retirement announcement
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This is helping you negotiate Talkback radio / Twitter / Stuff Comments today
So farewell then. Brendon MCullum has announced his retirement from International cricket effective the end of the incoming Australian tour in February.
He is about to play 100 tests in a row, and played a record uninterrupted 230 games in all formats for his country, but you will not hear a lot about that.
It is an easy prediction that those who will be the most outraged by this are those who are the most outraged about how he plays for New Zealand. Selfish and mercenary are words that will be used. It is an interesting insight into the NZ psyche.
He has made the announcement today. Selfish.
Had he made the announcement before the Australian tour they would also be seen as selfish.
Had he made it before the second test in Christchurch in mid Feb …. Even worse.
And imagine an announcement on 24th Feb 2016. Sheesh
It has got to the stage where dispassionate McCullum conversation is difficult, and those involved in the subject topic of this are going to really struggle with his absence.
Boringly, this is why the announcement has been made today.
The NZ cricket commitment following the Australian tour is the World T20 Cup in India in March. McCullum won’t be there for that so this will be the start of the Williamson era.
New Zealand plays 5 T20 internationals at home during January so that is the only build-up for that competition. There will be a new captain for those, so there is no point in McCullum playing then. Once that squad was announced in a couple of weeks it would be really obvious.
You will read all sorts of weird stuff over the next couple of days, but that is the drab logistical reality.