Brendon McCullum made Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to cricket

Mike Hesson Brendon McCullum New Zealand Cricket
Mike Hesson and Brendon McCullum pose after receiving the NZOM

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has been recognised as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) for his services to cricket, Cricket Australia’s official website reports. The 33-year-old was honoured along with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson and head of the New Zealand organising committee for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Therese Walsh, at a ceremony held at the Government House in Wellington on Thursday.

New Zealand defied expectations by progressing to the final of the 2015 World Cup which they co-hosted along with their opponents and eventual champions Australia. McCullum’s aggressive captaincy drew plaudits from cricket fans all over the world while Hesson’s contribution behind the scenes was also praised.

The pair were appointed Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) in the Queen Elizabeth II Birthday Honours list released in June and was formally awarded at the ceremony yesterday.

"When you are presented with an opportunity like this then you are very mindful of who has gone before and all those who will be here in the future... and (you) respectfully accept those things," McCullum said after receiving the honour which he described as “incredibly humbling”.

Joining them was Therese Walsh, who was recognised as a ‘Dame Companion’, the second highest grade in the New Zealand Order of Merit, for her work as a sports administrator. Besides being at the helm as New Zealand co-hosted a successful Cricket World Cup with their Trans-Tasman rivals, she also served as the Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of the 2011 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand.

"I was quite shocked. I was definitely shocked to get the letter," Walsh said in June, as reported by Stuff.co.nz. "I obviously feel a lot of pride about how the Cricket World Cup has gone and it was off the back of the Rugby World Cup." "I am 43 so I do still feel like I am not too old. I guess it wasn't my expectation to get something like this at this stage but I suppose it's an endorsement of what's been and you just hope that it's something that you can live up to in the future."

McCullum gave New Zealand’s tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa a miss, stating that he had played too much cricket in a short period but insists that he is not thinking of retiring from the game in the near future. The wicketkeeper-batsman will turn 34 later this month but said that he is looking forward to the series against Australia which begins in October.

"We'll see what happens after that," he said, referring to his 12-month commitment to New Zealand Cricket.

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Edited by Staff Editor