Bright star

Sir - The old must make way for the new, in sport and in all other walks of life. The captain of the New Zealand cricket team, Brendon McCullum, bid farewell to international cricket, as he had announced he would in December last year ("McCullum's mantra: Keep raising the bar", Feb 21). In the final Test match against Australia at Christchurch, McCullum made a century off 54 balls. It is the fastest Test century ever made. He broke the record jointly held by Viv Richards, who scored a century off 56 balls 30 years ago, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who did the same in 2014.

McCullum had mastered all the three formats of the game. He scored over 6,000 runs in both Tests and one-day international matches. He made 302 runs against India in the Wellington Test match in 2014. That score made him the first New Zealand cricketer to make a triple hundred in Test cricket. In 2014, he also went on to become the first player from New Zealand to score 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year; he ended the year with a total of 1,164 runs. He scored above 2,000 runs in Twenty20 internationals.

McCullum belongs to the league of cricketers such as A.B. de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Chris Gayle who have made cricket more entertaining to watch. He keeps his fans enthralled with his performance irrespective of the match format. Michael Atherton said that McCullum "was someone who, through the transformative nature of leadership, changed perceptions of himself, his team, his country and the game as well. As such he ranks among the most significant of modern captains." Fans across the world will miss watching his skills on the field.

Yours faithfully,

Haran Chandra Mandal,

Barrackpore

Sir - Brendon McCullum belongs to a select group of cricketers who were able to end their careers on a high. Even Sir Donald Bradman, considered the greatest cricketer to have played the game, was bowled out for a duck in his final Test innings. The immensely popular McCullum has always played with the aim to entertain spectators. He has been equally successful in ODIs, T20 matches and the traditional Test matches. He could have easily played for another five years; instead, he chose to retire at the peak of his career. His retirement has taken people by surprise; it is in stark contrast to many sportspersons who continue to play even when they are well past their prime.

Yours faithfully,

Ambar Mallick, Calcutta

Sir - Brendon McCullum's retirement at the age of 34 has created a void in the world of cricket. It takes immense stamina to play 100 consecutive Tests without being dropped from the team. McCullum achieved this feat; it speaks volumes about his fitness levels. He was a consistent performer. As a wicketkeeper-batsman, he scored more than 14,000 runs in international cricket and was responsible for a great number of fielding dismissals. McCullum has also scored three double centuries, and has been one of New Zealand's most successful Test captains, with a success rate that exceeded 35 per cent. He is the first batsman to score two hundreds in T20 internationals.

McCullum's unbeaten knock of 158 for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2008 edition of the Indian Premier League will remain memorable. He will be sorely missed by his fans and cricket lovers.

Yours faithfully,

Indranil Sanyal, Calcutta

Sir - I am an ardent cricket fan. As such, it was tough to watch Brendon McCullum play against Australia in Christchurch, knowing that it was his last international match. His performance made me wonder about his decision to retire. It is true that every sportsperson must retire at some point in time, but I believe McCullum should have thought twice about retiring so soon. His shoes will be difficult to fill.

Yours faithfully,

Sabyasachi Chowdhury,

Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir - Rabindra Sarobar, which is home to diverse forms of fauna, is undergoing a process of beautification. Unfortunately, this involves the construction of parking zones. As a result of this, green spaces are being concretized. This will make it difficult for amphibians to reach land - they prefer moist earth to concrete. Open air cultural programmes are often held at Rabindra Sarobar. The lights, music and the presence of a loud audience create a lot of disturbances for the animals. The sarobar is not only for humans beings - it is also for creatures who do not have a voice. The cultural programmes can be held at the Nazrul Mancha instead. People should be more considerate towards the fauna found at Rabindra Sarobar.

Yours faithfully,

Mrityunjoy Chatterjee,

Calcutta