Brendon McCullum: New Zealand Extremely Lucky To Reach The 2019 World Cup Final

Brendon McCullum reckons that New Zealand were a little bit lucky to reach the 2019 World Cup final and it is time for them to achieve something really special. New Zealand appeared in World Cup finals for the second successive time in 2015 and 2019.

They lost to Australia in 2015 in a one-sided final in their first appearance in the World Cup final in 2015 under Brendon McCullum’s captaincy. In early 2015 New Zealand made it to the final of the Cricket World Cup, going through the tournament undefeated until the final, where they lost to Australia by seven wickets.

Brendon McCullum Feels New Zealand Were Lucky To Enter 2019 World Cup Final

Last year, New Zealand had lost the dramatic World Cup final to hosts England on controversial boundary count-back rule after scores were tied even after the super over. Henry Nichols and Tom Latham took New Zealand to a respectable score of 241/8, but Ben Stokes of England who was incidentally born in New Zealand scored an unbeaten 84 after England were reduced to 86/4.

He with the help of Jos Buttler who scored 59 took England closer to victory but tail-enders Mark Wood and Adil Rashid were run out towards the end to tie the match.

“I know they got very close last year in the World Cup – but I did feel they were a little bit lucky there as well to actually get themselves in that situation,” McCullum, who is currently the head coach of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, said in a recent podcast.

India will be hosting two World Cups in the next three years — the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, while this year’s T20I showpiece which was postponed due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic will be held in Australia in 2022.

“I think they’re close to doing something really really special, and under Kane Williamson’s captaincy and under the leadership of some of the other senior players, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t,” McCullum said.

“I think now is the time for them to put a real line in the sand though. I think they’ve done well, they’ve got the ear and eyes of not only New Zealand but the world, it’d be nice.”

Kane Williamson has excellent experienced players like Colin Munro, Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Colin De Grandhomme, and Ross Taylor as well as youngsters like Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Mitchel Santner, James Neesham, and Matt Henry. Brendon McCullum retired in 2016 before Kane Williamson took over as skipper.

Brendon McCullum Heaped Praises On Kane Williamson And Said He Have Excellent Cricketers Around Him

The 38-year-old Brendon McCullum, who led the Black Caps to the 2015 World Cup final, heaped praise on Kane Williamson and said its time for the Kiwis to get over the excuses of the past.

“I think they’re really well-led by Kane Williamson, someone who is a fantastic embodiment of what it’s like to be a Kiwi and he’s got a wonderful group of people around him.”

“I think they believe now too – I think that’s the big key. For so long we were always just trying to peak occasionally because we didn’t feel we had the resources to compete with the bigger nations.”

New Zealand won the bilateral ODI series against India at home in 2020 before the corona-virus pandemic.