IPL 2016: Brendon McCullum talks about the changing nature of T20 Cricket

The former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, who set the Indian Premier League on fire with his swashbuckling 158 in the inaugural match of the tournament in 2008, talked about the changing nature of T20 cricket in an interview to iplt20.com.

The right-handed opener retired from international cricket in the month of February earlier this year and he is currently plying his trade for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL 2016. One of the most destructive batsmen of all time, McCullum also earned plaudits for his attacking style of captaincy which took New Zealand to unprecedented heights.

When quipped about the changing nature of the slam-bang version of the Cricket, McCullum pointed out that the skill levels of the players must go up.

The explosive opener said, “We are seeing players develop more shots and bowlers have become smarter as well in how they operate and it just adds in you becoming a better player. I think that pushes up your skill levels and it frees guys up in knowing they can play more aggressively now than they used to they can operate at a higher level of risk which I think T20 has certainly done.“

Crediting the likes of Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Virat Kohli, as they have achieved success in the shortest format of the game by playing proper cricketing strokes, the former Kiwi captain said, “Those guys played at a different level altogether, they are incredible cricketers. I think that it is not just about slamming and bashing the ball.

“For certain players like me it is; but for genuine good cricketers they can go and back their basics and just play their own game. For a young kid coming in to T20 they need to work out what style of play they want to play, style of player that they want to be and just be real strong all the way through the careers.”

Challenges of building a new team

McCullum, who played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2015, is now part of an entirely new team and he spoke about the challenges of building a new team, especially when there are also more settled outfits around.

He said, “Yes, there are going to be challenges but there are also strengths as well because you can start from the ground up. You can come in with fresh ideas and you can build your culture from day one rather than perhaps having a pre-existing culture or even sometimes some poor experiences of the past can also weigh you down as well.

“So that’s an exciting thing about being part of a new franchise. We have got to go out there and play entertaining cricket, build a really strong support base because of how we play.

“The way we carry ourselves and the exciting style of cricket that we play, hopefully we go on to win the tournament, but we can’t guarantee that. But what we can guarantee is we can go out there and be nice and positive; play the game for the right reasons and hopefully build a good fan base as well. ”

McCullum, who retired earlier this year, reflected on the past few months, “It’s been an interesting year having retired from international cricket. I had a great time in the last three years of my career which were among the greatest three years of my life.

“It was a really cool time to be involved and obviously building the New Zealand team and having some success there and just being part of a team which you always hoped to be a part of. The fun that we had as a group (was good). We weren’t always successful, but we played the game in the right spirit and for the right reasons and we had a great time along the way.

“So I look back on it fondly. And I will be a long time supporter of all those guys and the environment at the moment.”

The buccaneering right-hander also divulged the mantra of his new franchise Gujarat Lions and signed off, “We just want to be as positive and entertaining as we possibly can. Have a lot of fun along the way, carry ourselves really well and play a nice aggressive brand of cricket.

“If we can do that, stick to that under pressure, then we are going to be a tough team to beat.”