Ruthless aggression: Be very afraid of Brendon McCullum’s Lahore Qalandars

Anyone who’s seen Brendon McCullum lead a side knows this man will not spare the opponent.

Be it international matches for New Zealand or any domestic league, when McCullum is out in the field captaining his team, you can be certain, without any doubt, that you will see a ruthless battle.

The New Zealand cricket team, under his powerful leadership, transformed from the ‘underdogs’ to one of the most feared sides in the world. Within a span of mere 3.5 years, McCullum not only transformed the Black Caps with his captainship, but also left behind a legacy and blueprint on how to captain in modern-day cricket.

From bold field placings to raw pace and unconventional batting, the Black Caps, guided by McCullum, for the first time in history made it to the finals of a World Cup in 2015. Although McCullum is no longer with the team, New Zealand rule the T20 format and sit at number 4 in ODI rankings.

Which is why, when I learned Lahore Qalandars had signed up ‘Baz’ – as he is affectionately known in his circle – as their captain, I instantly knew this second edition of PSL would prove to be one hell of an adventure for the team as well as the fans.

McCullum is exactly what Lahore Qalandars need this time around. They had a lacklustre journey in last year’s PSL and ended up at the bottom of the tournament. Under McCullum’s captaincy, the Qalandars can put the dismal memories behind them and look forward to a new era – an era McCullum will usher in as soon as he leads his team out into the ground.

One of the biggest reasons for the Qalandars’ defeat last year was their defensive approach to the game. There is no room to defend in T20 cricket (not even in other formats anymore). It’s all about attack now – whether it’s bowling, batting or fielding.

The sooner the Qalandars learn this, the faster they will improve. And there is no better mentor than McCullum to inspire the team to adopt the attacking brand of cricket that he introduced in New Zealand as well as the other club teams he has played in.

He has a natural talent for infusing his team with an incredible amount of energy and passion, which shows every single time he’s out in the field playing and leading. For Lahore Qalandars, his presence would give a huge boost to their batting. McCullum’s heroics with the bat are no secret. When he comes in to bat during PSL, rest assured the rivals will struggle to contain him.

Although McCullum retired from international cricket last year, he’s fresh off the back of his stint with Big Bash franchise Brisbane Heat, whom he captained in the recently concluded 2016-17 season. Not surprisingly, his return to Brisbane Heat saw the club storm into the finals rounds after several years, where their incredible run was ended by a defeat in a nail-biting super over.

In his seven innings prior to losing the semifinal, McCullum smashed 277 runs for Brisbane Heat, becoming, as fellow Heat player Joe Burns put it, the team’s “driving force”.

“The runs Baz makes is just a bonus to what he brings off the field as captain. I guess the way he's got us to play the game, our Brisbane Heat identity, it's all come from him.

“He needs to take huge credit for the way the team's playing.

“In big games, I guess you rely on your big players, and there's no bigger player for us than Brendon McCullum," Burns said prior to the semifinal.

Already, the Qalandars are looking forward to playing under McCullum. All-rounder Umar Akmal, who will be in action for the Qalandars again this season, said in an exclusive interview to Geo News earlier this week that the former Black Cap will be a valuable addition to the team.

This PSL, all other franchises will be keeping a watchful eye out for Brendon McCullum. Rivals, beware of Lahore Qalandars under his captaincy.