In the fourth T20 match played in Southampton, England defeated India by 56 runs and won the series 4-0. With this victory, England also reached the top position in the ICC Men’s T20 International rankings. After the match, McCullum said that the team has performed well and on such an occasion the players should get the right to celebrate success.
McCullum said, “Players can drink alcohol tonight after the win. The guidelines are in place and all the players are well aware of them. The purpose of these rules is to take care of the players and motivate them to take the right decisions.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had implemented new rules for the team after several disciplinary cases involving players during overseas tours earlier this year. Under this, there was a midnight curfew, strict rules regarding off-field behavior and advice to abstain from alcohol from the day before the match till the next day after the match. However, in this policy, head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key have also been given the right to give exemption in special circumstances.
McCullum said that he has full confidence in the players and the team should get a chance to enjoy their achievement. He said, “If anyone likes beer then this is the right time to enjoy it tonight, but it should be done with discretion and not excessively. The players have earned the right to celebrate what the team has achieved in the last ten days. The celebration should be such that it does not create any negative headlines.”
McCullum also praised England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook. He said that Brook has learned a lot from the mistakes of his early career and has now become one of the most trusted leaders of the team. According to McCullum, initially Brook was not fully aware of his role and responsibilities in international cricket, but there has been a tremendous change in him in the last one year.
He said: “Harry Brook is highly respected in the dressing room as a leader, a strategic player and a great human being. He has learned from his mistakes off the field as well and the way he has developed has been impressive.”
McCullum also said that the team has made a great comeback after a challenging period like the defeat in the Test series against New Zealand and Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket. According to him, instead of getting carried away by emotions, the players concentrated completely on their performance, which resulted in a one-sided series win against India.
He said, “A week is a very long time in cricket. Circumstances change rapidly. At such times, it is important to keep emotions aside and just concentrate on the work. I am happy that the players did the same and got the reward for it in the form of a great series win.”
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