McCullum gives up Wicket Keeping for Opening Bat in Tests
Brendon McCullum has made it clear that he wishes to play a creative role in the New Zealand Test squad as an opening batsman. “I wouldn't play conventionally. There are a lot of aggressive Test openers around now. It's probably something we haven't really looked at. I'm not saying it's going to work, but I'm going to give it everything I've got to try and make it work”. McCullum told reporters. McCullum recently gave up his duties in Test cricket as wicketkeeper, because of the strain and is now set to impress with his batting skills.
McCullum takes inspiration from the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tamim-Iqbal-c2640, all of whom have reinvented the role of the opening batsmen, adding a little of their own style to the position. McCullum has proved himself in the shorter formats. He’s considered a dangerous, attacking batsman, averaging an impressive 29.01 in One Day Internationals and 33.33 in Twenty20’s. He hopes to bring the same good form to Test cricket, for which his record is less impressive compared to the other formats, he has some 2862 runs in 52 matches at a rate of 34.90, most of which have come from his usual spot of number seven.
Recently, New Zealand has been having problems with the opening slots for Test cricket. Since 2005, some 14 different batsmen have been tried for the spot, none sticking. Despite wanting the opening spot, McCullum is confident he can perform well from the number three position as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747.
“One, two or three are probably the same. I don't mind where. It won't be the stock-standard blunt the ball at the top of the order. I've got to stick to my strengths and if we're totally honest it probably hasn't worked in the past, the way we've been playing. Why not try something different?” McCullum said. He now faces the challenge of winning his place in the team as a specialist batsman who will provide the team with an aggressive opening choice.
McCullum admitted that giving up wicket keeping no longer guaranteed him automatic selection, but he said he didn’t mind working for his place in the squad. “It’s gutsy. You go from being a dead ‘cert’ in the team to now not knowing whether you’ll get selected,” he said. “It makes it tough but I’m up for the challenge”. McCullum is now amongst the few wicket keepers who have opened in a Test match. He joins West Indian Clyde Walcott, English Alec http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Stewart-c91370, Australian Wayne Philips and Zimbabwean Andy Flower, among others.
However, New Zealand will miss McCullum in the upcoming tri series in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 as well. After 209 successive international starts, McCullum misses out this time around due to a clean-up surgery on his knee, from which he is still recovering. His break forced by injury is coincidently at the same time as the birth of his second child. “The last time I missed a game was for the birth of my boy. This isn't the reason I'm missing this tour but to have a girl and have an unbroken stretch in between is pretty cool”, McCullum said.
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