Top 10 Fun Facts about Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum ONZM (cropped).jpg Photo by New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fun Facts about Brendon McCullum

He was born on September 27, 1981. Later in life, he became a cricket coach, commentator, and former cricketer representing New Zealand, who played all formats, including as captain.

McCullum was renowned for his quick scoring, notably recording the fastest test century of all time. He is considered one of the most successful batsmen and captains of New Zealand cricket.

He retired from all forms of cricket in August 2019. McCullum is currently serving as the head coach of the England Cricket test team.

He is the former leading run scorer in Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket and is the first and so far only one of the two Kiwi players to have scored two T20I centuries and 2000 runs in T20I, apart from Martin Guptill.

He became the first New Zealander to score a triple hundred in a Test, 302 runs against India on 18 February 2014. In 2014, he also became the first New Zealander to score 1000 test runs in a calendar year.

1. A Record Holder of the First New Zealand top in Cricket

Brendon McCullum, Dunedin, NZ, 2009.jpg Photo by Benchill – Wikimedia Commons

As the top and first New Zealand Cricket player to score a triple hundred, he kept a record that was bettered by Kane Williamson with 1172 runs in 2015.

In his last Test outing on 20 February 2016, McCullum posted the fastest ever Test century, in 54 balls, beating the 56-ball record held by his hero, Vivian Richards, scoring a total of 145 off 79 balls. He also holds the record for the fastest 150 in Test cricket.

McCullum was the first batsman to score 2 tons in T20I. He was the previous record holder for the highest individual score in a Twenty20 International 123 against Bangladesh in 2012.

2. He had an Individual High Performance

Brendon McCullum ONZM investiture.jpg Photo by New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General – Wikimedia Commons

He had the third highest individual score in all Twenty20 cricket 158 not out for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008.

He was later surpassed by Aaron Finch at 172 against Zimbabwe for Australia) and Chris Gayle 175 against the Pune Warriors India for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2013 edition of IPL.

3. Played for the Kolkata Knight Riders

India Vs New zealand One day International, 10 December 2010 (6159886767).jpg Photo by Chubby Chandru – Wikimedia Commons

He played for the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2013, while in between he played for the Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

He played the 2014 and 2015 seasons for the Chennai Super Kings. McCullum was a wicketkeeper until 2013.

4. Announced His Early Retirement

On 22 December 2015, McCullum announced he would retire from international cricket at the end of the southern summer, joining his brother who had earlier that year announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

He is also the highest at 170 runs scorer by the captain in his farewell test and the first captain to score a century in his farewell test. He retired from all international cricket on 24 February 2016.

5. Played alongside His own Brother

Both McCullum and his brother Nathan McCullum played domestically for Otago at the provincial level.

Their father Stuart McCullum also played for the side at a first-class level. Brendon McCullum also played for franchise sides in a wide range of Twenty20 competitions around the world.

6. Wins for His Cricket Team

New Zealand cricket team, Shoaib Malik, Dunedin, NZ, 2009 (cropped).jpg Photo by Benchill – Wikimedia Commons

McCullum was picked for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup as an opening batsman due to inconsistencies from Martin Guptill and Tom Latham and the emergence of Grant Elliott as a solid option at number five batsman.

His role as a pinch hitter saw the team reach their first-ever World Cup final. After the World Cup, he returned to his preferred spot at number five for tests. He still occasionally keeps wickets for domestic T20s until 2015.

7. He Adapted the Dilscoop Style

He has the ability to play the Dilscoop which was invented by Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan or precisely the ramp shot, which involves the batsman squatting down and scooping deliveries back over the wicketkeeper’s area.

The two shots have their own distinction, where Dilscoop is played right above the wicket-keeper’s head, but the ramp shot can be played sideways of the wicket-keeper as well.

Playing this ramp shot in a Twenty20 International match on 28 February 2010 in Lancaster Park, against Australia, he managed to hit Shaun Tait for two sixes in an over back over Brad Haddin’s head.

This move forced Australia to set a backstop for the fielder near the boundary behind the wicketkeeper or first slip in his final test match.

He can also execute reverse sweep well. He also likes to cut, cover drive, or advance the wicket to punch the ball up for boundaries from a batting stance standing on or outside the leg stump.

8. He Retained his Role as Wicketkeeper

In 2012, BJ Watling became McCullum’s replacement as wicketkeeper in Tests, but due to Luke Ronchi’s struggles in ODIs, McCullum still remained as wicketkeeper in ODIs and T20s.

9. The Back Problem took his Wicketkeeper Role

In addition, due to his back problems in 2013, he could no longer perform wicketkeeping duties effectively. Therefore, he gave up his gloves to Ronchi in ODIs and T20s, and McCullum became a middle-order batsman, or as a cover for opening the batting in tests.

This was after he had batted at 1,2,5–7 in his career, while his fielding position becomes predominantly mid-off, mid-on, or mid-wicket, and in his final international matches, he ended at first slip after the injury to Ross Taylor.

He is also a very seldom-used part-time medium-pace bowler in tests. He got his first wicket in all forms of international cricket from a caught-and-bowled against Sarfraz Ahmed of Pakistan which ended their first innings in 2014.

10. His International Recognitions

n the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours McCullum was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to cricket. He won the New Zealand Sportsman Of The Year award in 2014, and then the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award in 2016.

In June 2016, just a few months after his retirement from international cricket, McCullum was honored with an invitation to deliver the prestigious MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture.

He became only the second New Zealand player ever to have been invited to deliver the Cowdrey lecture, the only other New Zealander being the late Martin Crowe.