Brendon McCullum: Ashes dead rubber? No such thing

New Zealand Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum believes the cricket world will really sit up and take notice of England if they can beat Australia in the final Ashes test to wrap up the series 4-1.

Writing in his Dail Mail column, McCullum said that despite England's unassailable lead, there are no 'dead test matches' when it comes to the Ashes.

"It really would be a remarkable result after they went into the series as raging underdogs. And it's important that they don't take their foot off the gas," McCullum told the Mail. "After all the things English cricket has been through in recent times, you sense they're not quite good enough yet to be able to do that. A win is important."

"When a series has already been decided and there's still a game to go, the important thing is to remember what got you into that position in the first place. And it's vital that everyone is on board emotionally."

"That's why it was intriguing to hear that Alastair Cook had rung round his players after England won the Ashes at Trent Bridge to stress the importance of staying focused. That tells me he has the bit between his teeth and wants to take his team to a new level.

"For Australia, it's a different story. The emotion of Michael Clarke's final Test could either be a help or a hindrance - no one knows until the pressure kicks in.

"Clarke's final one-day international, against us in the World Cup final, worked well for him, although at the time I didn't get the feeling everyone supported his move to announce in advance that it would be his last game.

"So it will be intriguing to see if his team are galvanised by his announcement that this is his final Test or whether they'll implode. One thing's for sure: he'll be determined to go out on a high. You don't average almost 50 for more than a decade without being a top-class player."