Another letter for Brendon McCullum

Dear Brendon

It was such a source of sadness for me when last week, you announced your retirement from BBL. I still believe that you are good enough to play any form of cricket there is. Through this letter, I want to pay a tribute to you for everything you have taught me about cricket and life in general.

When you walk to the middle, I can feel the electricity in the air. When you bat, nothing else in the world matters to me. When you are on the field, anything is possible. You have been a perfect role model for me for so many years now. I have learned more from you than I can say here. Still, let me try:

• Play it safe, play it safe. What the heck! Swing for the rooftops: Life is short. You can't be playing safe all the times. Life is an endless trade-off between risk and reward. I have never seen anyone as aggressive in approaching the game as you. Safety never resulted in something great. 
• Best captain I ever saw: Along with Michael Clarke, you are the best captain I have ever seen on a cricket field. You are an astute reader of the game and never back down from taking a risk. 5 slips, a wide gully, a backward point, a short-cover, silly point, a catching mid-off, a short mid-wicket, short-leg and so on. Jeez, I miss those days. Numbers will never do justice to what you brought on the field. There is no man-made tool to measure your contribution. Attack, attack, attack. All. The. Time. 
• Don't give the opposition a chance: I still remember England playing against Blackcaps in the 2015 World Cup. While England were noticeably terrible, they were nowhere as bad as losing an ODI game in 10 overs. I had never seen anyone annihilating a bowling attack so brutally as that. Bang! Six. Bang! Four. It was a testament to how much mental aggression is important in our sports. I could almost feel for England bowlers bowling haplessly to defend a paltry total when they knew that they had not got a cat in a hell's chance. 
• This is just a game, after all: No better person in the world to have a beer with at the close of the play. Play it hard on the field, but cricketing friendships should last a lifetime. Your cricketing relationships with fellow cricketers is a perfect example of this. 
• 100% commitment: I have seen you on numerous occasions dive across the field converting a four into a three even if it wouldn't make a difference on the result. Sometimes, despite knowing that they are gonna run four anyway, you choose to do it. Now, that is a 100% commitment. And it was never limited to only blackcaps, but for every team, you have ever played for: from Brisbane Heat to CSK. Each one of them. 
• The first scoring shot can be six, there is no problem with that: I don't know any batter who is not afraid of getting a duck. Hence, they try to minimize the risk while getting off the mark. Just nudge a single. Put the bat in front of the line of the ball and run. Even if the ball is a full-toss begging to be hit, they choose not to do it. What if I fail? What if I get dropped because of getting a duck and all that. They are just too scared of the what-ifs. Not you. I have seen on a number of occasions you starting out your innings with a gallant six and warming up the hands of some fortunate spectator. I absolutely loved watching you. The only other person I can think of who used to do it was Virender Sehwag. 
• Many people can make runs, but can they scoop Shaun Tait bowling at 100 miles per hour?: The image of you hitting Shaun Tait hitting over fine-leg on your way to yet another T20 international hundred is still fresh in my mind. With all due respect to batters playing conventional cricketing shots, making runs innovatively is an entirely different challenge. If there is a half-volley pitching outside the off-stump, 99% of the good batters can hit it through covers for four, but those who hit it between third slip and gully for a cheeky boundary, they are the ones who push the boundaries of batsmanship. No better example of this than you (AB used to do it too, and I loved him as well.)
• My personal biases: I like stylish cricketers. Good hairstyle, tattoos, chewing gums, aggressive, walking back without cursing when they get out, moving on from disappointments quickly, playing it hard and fair. I also have a strong place for the athletes born in September (My Birthday Month). You are each one of the above. 

You've always been an inspiration to me, Brendon and you will continue to be so. Hope to meet you someday in person. 

Respectfully yours, 

pawan