Why Brendon McCullum should have stuck around for the World T20
He is there one moment, then the next, before you see him again, poof he is gone. Almost like magic, there is nothing, no trace of what happened before. Like a flash, he has managed to vanish from the scene of the crime without leaving a trace.
The only trace of his existence is found in the lack of fear in the eyes of the bowler. Sometimes you can see a trace by glancing at the scoreboard, but almost always, the only thing you are left with is the reverberation of chants from the crowd.
He goes by many names, but one name he will be called in a few months, when the World T20 rolls around, is "retired cricketer".
Brendon McCullum announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket after the home series against Australia, but just before the World T20. He said he is announcing his retirement now because he wanted to retire at home and he wants to give incumbent captain Kane Williamson as much time as possible to come up with a squad to help the Kiwis claim their first piece of silverware.
But the question most fans are asking themselves is this; shouldn't McCullum be the one that is alongside Williamson, helping the young man take the world by storm? Shouldn't New Zealand's current skipper stick around until the World T20 and play in the format, where is at his most destructive?
All of these are questions, Kiwi fans can and are asking, in their heads, but unfortunately, no answer will be of much help, because the Black Caps will be without their star player in March, when the World T20 starts.
But should Baz have kept going for one last tournament? He might think not, but here a few reasons why he should have.
T20 pedigree
Few will argue that despite his impressive Test record, where he has a triple century to his name, it is T20s that is the format in which McCullum excels at. And the numbers don't lie, they merely back up that claim.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 50s | 100s |
| 71 | 2140 | 35.7 | 136.2 | 13 | 2 |
Nobody has hit more fours, sixes, fifties or centuries in T20Is than McCullum. In fact, he is the only player to hit two centuries and the only one with more than 2,000 T20I runs, comfortably making him the highest scorer in the format.
He holds the record for most consecutive fifties in the format (4), along with Chris Gayle and along with the West Indian, is arguably the most destructive T20 opener in the world at the moment.
There are few better players who make use of the shortest format of the game like Baz does. He has been so successful in the format, not only because of his wide array of shots, but also because of his ability to analyse the game, put the fear of god into the bowler's mind and toy with the opposing captain and his field placements, irrespective of whether it was the first over or the last.
The balls travel at the speed of light, the spectators are on their feet, because they know that they are witnessing something special.
They know that they are witnessing a modern-day Mozart create a symphony like very few can, they know that are privileged to witness an artist create his masterpiece with the stadium as his canvas and the willow as his brush, to stroke things around.
Experience of playing in India
The thing that makes it so difficult to understand why he called time on his career, just ahead of the World T20, is where it is going to be held.
Apart from the fact that it is the format that Baz flourishes in, given that it is in India, where McCullum has plenty of experience playing in, something which cannot be said for the rest of the New Zealand squad likely to be picked for the World Cup, he should have stayed on.
His IPL numbers are there for all to see.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 50s | 100s |
| 76 | 2080 | 27.2 | 128.5 | 10 | 2 |
Not only has he played for three different franchises in the Indian Premier League, but his record in the tournament is one of the best for an opener. While he may not have hit as many centuries as Gayle, he is one of the few batsman that bowlers hate to see, when they run up and charge in to bowl.
His knowledge of Indian conditions would have been handy for the side, as they look to go one better than they did in the 50-over tournament earlier this year.
Injuries have meant that New Zealand have been without their most-destructive all-rounder in Corey Anderson for large parts of the year and if he isn't fit in time for the World T20, it will mean that among their top batsman, only Williamson and Taylor will have first-hand knowledge of playing in India.
In Williamson's case that was obtained as he was constantly rotated by his franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad.
So you can certainly see why the Kiwis could have done with the services of their destructive opener in a few months time and not have him announce that he will not represent his country again, after the home series against Australia.
While his presence will sorely be missed by the Black Caps, who will no longer get to watch the balls flying everywhere and fielders scurrying to get the ball back, without the leading run-scorer in the format, it is the tournament that will be a poorer place.
But the kiwis will be hopeful that despite the loss of Baz, they can conjure something up and pick up their first World Cup, which will be a fitting tribute to the man who changed the image of New Zealand cricket forever.