Brendon McCullum reckons New Zealand will be better, and more professional, without him.
The retired skipper was in a philosophical mood after ending his career with the second Test loss to Australia in Christchurch.
He says he has never regretted his decision to stand down at age 34 and doesn't believe he leaves a particularly large hole to fill.
The reason for that, he says, is the playing and leadership depth that has developed in recent seasons, along with a stable coaching and management team.
Under his likely replacement in all formats, Kane Williamson, the team will be slicker and more focused, McCullum believes.
"We'll see from the next group of leaders that they're a little bit younger and a bit more professional than what I am," he said.
"I'm probably a bit more old school and that will assist in being able to take the team to a more-consistent level."
McCullum, who loves a beer, a punt and owns an equine company, has been an inspirational and hugely popular figure.
Williamson is better respected for his batting ability but McCullum expects the 25-year-old to carve a niche, beginning at the Twenty20 World Cup in India.
McCullum says he then believes New Zealand can set about improving their world rankings in the Test (sixth), ODI (second) and T20 (fourth) formats.
"If there's one criticism of us, we've probably been a little bit inconsistent with flashes of brilliance," he said.
"The next stage for this team is to reach a high performing level on a consistent basis.
"We've got the enjoyment and the culture spot on. We play the game for the right reasons and everyone has bought into that."
