The oft-told story of Sir Alex Ferguson being first to the desk the morning after winning another trophy is a reminder that the life cycle of a sporting team never stands still. It is the job of coaches and managers, not players, to recognise when the cycle is moving favourably rather than unfavourably, but it is much easier to distinguish the bottom of the cycle rather than the top.
In that regard, it could be argued that Brendon McCullum was presented with an easier task than Matthew Mott, when appointments were made in early 2022. With the Test team the only way was up after a shocking run, whereas after the World Cup victory at Lord’s in 2019, the one-day team could only begin a