Brendon McCullum

Attack was never merely an option for him. It was how he played the game. Whether taking on a fast bowler, charging a spinner or leading from the front, he brought an intensity capable of turning a match in moments, and it made Brendon McCullum one of New Zealand's most influential cricketers. He began as a wicketkeeper-batter down the order, but over the course of his career he moved through nearly every position in the batting order. From finisher to top-order enforcer and, eventually, opener in both Tests and ODIs, his method adjusted with him.

Nowhere was that combination of aggression and control clearer than in Wellington in 2014, when he compiled 302 against India, becoming New Zealand's first Test triple-centurion. His captaincy brought another transformation. McCullum wanted New Zealand to play on the front foot. He encouraged his players to attack rather than wait and made bold cricket the team's default setting.

That approach was central to New Zealand's run to the 2015 World Cup final, their first appearance in an ODI World Cup final. He retired from international cricket in 2016, but his career in T20 cricket continued. His 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural IPL match in 2008 had already made him one of the format's early global stars and set the tone for a tournament that would grow into one of the biggest events in world cricket.

Coaching became his next challenge. In 2022, McCullum was appointed England's Test head coach and joined captain Ben Stokes at the start of a dramatic change in the team's approach. England began playing with extraordinary freedom and aggression, and the philosophy became widely known as Bazball. His success with the Test side eventually led to a wider role. In 2024, McCullum was appointed England's white-ball head coach as well, taking charge of both the men's Test and limited-overs teams.

The approach brought both criticism and acclaim, with its successes winning admirers while its aggression divided opinion. After an Ashes debacle in Australia and subsequently losing a Test series at home to New Zealand in 2026, McCullum stepped down as England's Men's Test Head Coach, where he was succeeded by fellow Kiwi Stephen Fleming. McCullum, however, continued as England's white-ball coach.