Ahead of the Ashes Test series, Australia`s batsman Usman Khawaja recalled the time when New Zealand`s Brendon McCullum, who is now the head coach of England`s cricket team, sledged him during the Test series between the Aussies and the Black Caps.
While speaking on Fox Cricket, Khawaja said that he was never sledged before that at the international level.
“He absolutely tore shreds off me. He sledged the crap out of me, like I`d never been sledged in international cricket before,” he said, as quoted by Fox Cricket.
However, when Khawaja faced McCullum again in the Test arena four years later in 2015, the New Zealand star had transformed himself. By then, McCullum had become the face of sportsmanship, even receiving the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for leading a New Zealand side known for its respectful and fair approach to the game.
Further recollecting the time when Khawaja met McCullum later in time, the Australian said that the 44-year-old former player had then told him that he had matured since then.
“It was really bizarre, a few years later when we played against him and he was captain…he was a totally different person. He was chilled and just went about his business,” he noted.
“I won`t say exactly the words that he said, but he was just like, `Yeah. I was a bit of a…I`ve learned a lot and matured since then. But when I was young, he nailed me, so it is funny to see both sides,” Khawaja recalled.
“I respect someone who matures and looks back and thinks, `Yeah, I probably wasn`t playing the way I wanted to there.` I have nothing but respect for that,” said the veteran, who has so far represented Australia in 84 Test matches.
Later that year, in his autobiography, McCullum admitted he wasn`t proud of some of his conduct early in his career. He even recalled an incident from 2006, when he ran out Muttiah Muralitharan while the Sri Lankan was celebrating teammate Kumar Sangakkara`s century, something he said he deeply regretted.
“I wasted a few years trying to be brash and arrogant and hard-minded. It was a false attitude, not true to my character,” McCullum penned.
The first Test match of the Ashes series between Australia and England is scheduled to be played from November 21 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
(With ANI Inputs)