The former Kiwi stalwart has signalled a warning for England's next oppositions for the Test match summer.
Head coach Brendon McCullum isn’t willing to draw a line to how far his England Test side can take their newfound attacking method and approach towards the format with bat in hand.
Having clinched a 3-0 whitewash over New Zealand in the most dominating fashion, McCullum understands oppositions will now come prepared to take on fire with fire. But he wants his troops to not feel shy about persisting with their ploy and has backed them to take things “too far”.
As always one to think aggressively in his way with the game, McCullum said only if England take things far would they realise their full potential and continue to push the boundaries. He is also expecting a seismic change in the way county cricketers now bat seeing what is required of their Test match counterparts at the highest level.
“I hope we take it too far because then we’ll know exactly where that line is. Until you do that, you’re not really sure,” McCullum was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo, even as some doubt how long can England keep up with their attacking ways?
“We’ve seen it with the England white-ball stuff – there have been times where they’ve probably pushed too hard, and then they know. I think it’ll be the same with us, and we’ve got to keep exploring what that line is.”
Brendon McCullum amplified a message that Test skipper Ben Stokes also tried to convey through his team’s performance and three back-to-back successful run-chases in an emphatic fashion against a quality attack.
Stokes had said he hopes his players have sent a positive vibe across English cricket after a sustained period of poor results in the Test game and urged those aspiring for the Test jersey to also play an aggressive brand of the game.
“It would be nice,” McCullum said. “We can’t impose any of that stuff on them as well, because they’ve got things that they want to achieve, but I think you’ll see if we can build this and we have success doing it, you see the type of player (we want).”
“If I was a young player around county cricket and I saw what our No.5 for England [Bairstow] is currently doing and the role and how he’s encouraged to play that way, then I’d probably look at trying to play like that myself to ensure that I would get noticed as well, in case something was to happen to that person,” he added.
The newly appointed Test head coach is looking forward to the challenges ahead, with an Indian side heading towards Edgbaston for the critical fifth Test of last year’s postponed Pataudi Trophy, followed by a series against South Africa and winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand.
Also Read – Test cricket is perennially “sexy”, McCullum and Stokes promise to make it sexier
McCullum doesn’t expect any of those oppositions to not come prepared for England’s attacking methods.
“It’ll be quite good fun to look at a new opponent. The world test champions were a formidable opponent to overcome and the alarm bells have probably gone off somewhat around world cricket as to how this team is going to play.”
“We need to make sure against a different opposition we’re well researched, well planned, well prepared for that and try and roll out a similar kind of performance.”
“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s enjoy the moment and see what unfolds in the next little while. It’s exciting,” he added.
The Test match against India starts on July 1.
