Kiwi dasher Brendon McCullum has just announced that he will retire from international cricket following the home series against Australia. And whichever side of the cricketing spectrum you’re on, you have to admit that his monster sixes will be missed.

With those bulging biceps, McCullum would stride out purposefully to the crease, scratch his guard and take aim. And more often than not, the ball would disappear into some section of the crowd, as Tim Southee found out.

Every team bore the brunt of his aggression, especially in the last World Cup where he would come in at the top of the order and play an innings of such blinding ferocity that the opposition could barely recover. One such instance came in the first semi-final against South Africa, where his 59 off just 26 balls knocked the fight out of the Proteas quite early.

But though he's bidding farewell from the international version of the game, let's hope McCullum will continue to light up the Indian Premier League, the scene of that innings for Kolkata Knight Order which launched him into superstardom.