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Home > Sports News > Cricket News > Article > Brendon McCullum Not best of friends but respect Ross Taylor

Brendon McCullum: Not best of friends but respect Ross Taylor

Updated on: 23 March,2020 07:10 AM IST  |  Auckland
IANS |

Ross Taylor had pipped Brendon McCullum as captain after Daniel Vettori stepped down following the 2011 World Cup after a lengthy deliberation.

Brendon McCullum: Not best of friends but respect Ross Taylor

Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has said that his personal fallout with star batsman Ross Taylor stemmed from the process that led to the latter taking over the captaincy from Daniel Vettori in 2011. Taylor had pipped McCullum as captain after Vettori stepped down following the 2011 World Cup after a lengthy deliberation.


"It put some pressure on my friendship and relationship with Ross. I have a lot of development and under-age cricket with Ross. I was the captain of the U-19 team and Taylor was my vice-captain. We've always got on really well," McCullum said in a Sky Sports Podcast. "We had to go for an interview for the job. It was about presenting the map for the future of New Zealand cricket to a panel. I don't really know what we were doing. If I had my time, I would've said 'No I'm not going to come and go through the process, you appoint Ross as captain and then we'll see what unfolds from there.'


"It's a bad stain for New Zealand cricket and put pressure on Ross and me. Then it led me to eventually taking over the captaincy from Ross," said McCullum. Taylor had issues with coach Mike Hesson after a 1-1 draw in a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2012. This followed series defeats in South Africa, the West Indies and India and a slip to ninth in the ODI rankings. Taylor was given the option of remaining the Test captain while McCullum leads the limited overs sides but he declined.


"I was asked if I wanted to take over the role of NZ captain in all three formats. So initially, I told them I would get back to them. I needed to think long and hard. I knew it would be a controversial decision. I sat down with my wife, and she said 'you're the best equipped to do it, if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out'. So I gave them a call, and said I would do it. Ross had turned down the Test captaincy role," said McCullum, adding that he and Taylor are still not the best of friends. "We are not best friends. I have immense amount of respect for him. He has a lovely family and a great career. He is at peace and content in his personal life."

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