7 things you might not know about Brendon McCullum

Out of the blue, New Zealand's captain Brendon McCullum announced his retirement from international cricket. The swashbuckling opener will retire at the end of the home Test series against Australia.His retirement will bring an end to one of the most successful periods in New Zealand cricket, which has seen them reach the World Cup final for the first time in their history and remain unbeaten in 13 home Tests, a current record that might yet increase in number, before McCullum’s final Test.Plenty of McCullum’s records and achievements roll frequently out of the tip of a cricket fan’s tongue, as does his nickname “Baz, but there are some that are slightly less well-known.Here are 7 things you might not know about Brendon McCullum:

#7 Cricket is in his blood

The McCullum brothers have appeared together in plenty of T20s and ODIs

Brendon McCullum comes from a cricketing family, so it was no surprise to see him choose cricket. His father Stuart McCullum was also a wicketkeeper, who despite never getting a chance to represent the Black Caps, played 75 first-class matches for Otago. He didn't have a particularly impressive record though as his batting average was in the twenties in both first-class and list-A matches.

His brother, Nathan McCullum is an off-spinning all-rounder, who has played 145 limited-overs matches for New Zealand. Although Nathan is yet to represent his country in the longest format, he has created a niche for himself as a T20 and ODI specialist and is a regular, in both squads.

#6 U-19 days

Before making his mark on the international arena, he played in the U-19 World Cup

2000 U-19 World Cup saw plenty of future superstars take part in the tournament. India won the tournament, thanks to Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who would go on to become regulars for the senior side, Graeme Smith was the top-scorer and went on to captain his country with great distinction and there was even future Australian internationals Shane Watson and Michael Clarke.

What many don't realise is that McCullum was also a part of that World Cup, along with his brother Nathan. Although the Kiwis didn't create that much fo a wave in the tournament, it was still one fo the most famous U-19 squads of all-time.

While it is probably a few notches behind the 2008 U-19 World Cup squad, which had the likes of Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Hamish Rutherford, it was still memorable for it gave rise to one of New Zealand's best skippers of all-time.

#5 Disastrous start to captaincy

McCullum lost his first Test as captain in disastrous circumstances

The legacy of the 2015 World Cup, where the Kiwis got to the final, ensures McCullum's inclusion into the pantheon of finest captains of the modern era. His funky fields and incredible record in home Tests, where they are unbeaten in 13 successive Test matches, highlight his ability to adapt across different formats.

While his record as a captain is impressive, his tenure got off to the worst possible start in 2013. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Kiwis were bundled out for 45 by South Africa in the first Test at Cape Town. McCullum, who opened along with Guptill, scored 7 and was the third-highest run scorer in the innings.

The hosts then inflicted more misery as they declared on 347 for 8, proving that the track wasn't a minefield. Although the Kiwis fared slightly better second time around, they still lost by an innings and 27 runs inside three days. Not the best start to a young captain's innings.

#4 McCullum the columnist

McCullum doesn’t just let his willow do the talking

Cricketers are well-known to voice their opinion on cricket. Whether it is about their team or the opponent, whether they are playing in the match or not, it is not uncommon to see cricketers past or present, have their say on the game they love.

In this regard, Baz is no different, however, unlike most cricketers who take up the microphone on commentary, McCullum turned into a columnist for Daily Mail last year. He writes regularly for the national newspaper and has written on a variety of topics, including Alastair Cook, who he termed as stubborn (but in a good way) and labelled Steve Smith as "immature", before adding that the Australian skipper will regret the Ben Stokes incident in the future.

#3 Baz\'s dark past

Baz wasn’t always the most-liked player he is now

Brendon McCullum might be the most-liked cricketer in the world at the moment and the same could be said about the New Zealand team, because of the way they play the game, but that was not always the case.

Right now, he might well be the first person young players come up to and ask for advice, but back in 2008, when he was vice-captain that wasn't the case. In fact, there were whispers suggesting that the wicketkeeper wasn't the best role model for the younger players and had an aversion to early nights.

There were suggestions that he was the ringleader that lead to the sacking of then-coach Andy Moles. The whole saga, which was a black mark on the New Zealand team, also cost him his vice-captaincy.

#2 Rocky relationship with Ross

The pair’s relationship wasn’t always smooth

One look at the current New Zealand side will tell you that Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum are two pillars of the middle-order, who seem like the best of buddies on the pitch. But that wasn't always the case. In fact, when McCullum took over the captaincy from Taylor, their relationship didn't get off to the best of starts.

When Baz took over the captaincy in 2012, then-captain Taylor was asked by coach Mike Hesson to focus on Tests, which infuriated the batsman so much that he not only resigned from captaincy but also chose to make himself unavailable for selection for the series in South Africa.

The friction between the pair was noticeable but things have moved on from then and the pair have managed to repair their relationship and are good friends right now.

#1 Reliance on defence

McCullum admitted he relies on his defence more than his ability to hit big shots

In the World Cup final, with the eyes of the world on him, McCullum, in his own word "forgot to watch the ball" and was promptly dismissed by a searing in-swinger from Mitchell Starc. But that perhaps was one of the few occasions when he has failed to do so, after all, he has himself admitted that his game is based on his defence.

While that might seem surprising, considering the swashbuckling nature of his game, it is something that he admitted to, ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.

McCullum told Cricket Monthly: "All I'm thinking about is trying to watch the ball. People might not believe this, but most of my preparation for batting is geared around defence. If I can rely on my defence - defend straight and leave well - then the rest of my game flows from there."

Perhaps, if he had followed his own advice, then the result in the World Cup final might have been different.