McCullum considers coaching role with Heat

Brendon McCullum is retiring from the Big Bash League but Friday’s likely farewell may not be the last we see of the New Zealander in teal.

He will pull the pin on an Australian Twenty20 playing career that has yielded 920 runs and five 50s in 34 matches for the Brisbane Heat since his debut in the inaugural 2011-12 season.

But the former New Zealand captain, now 37, is keen on ‘‘transitioning into something else’’ and has hinted at a coaching career at the Heat.

‘‘Wait and see; see what the wash up of this season is and if there’s a slightly different structure put in place then maybe I’ll look to put my hat in the ring,’’ he said on Monday.

Those words could spell trouble for former national teammate and current coach Daniel Vettori.

Vettori is under pressure after a slow-starting 5-7 season, which ironically has still been good enough to keep the Heat mathematically in the finals race.

For the Heat to play a semifinal they must beat the Melbourne Stars (6-6) on Friday at the Gabba and then rely on them losing to the Sydney Sixers as well as the Sydney Thunder (5-7) falling to Hobart.

McCullum had a dig at the length of the Heat’s expanded 14-game fixture, but maintains the shortest form of the game will continue to have a ‘‘huge place on the current calendar’’.

‘‘If we can ensure we have full houses everywhere we go in a smaller, condensed time frame . . . that’s where the sweet spot was,’’ he said. ‘‘My personal feeling was it was a fraction long.’’