Confusion Thy Name is McCullum

Hello and welcome back to my blog

As part of the usual feeding frenzy that follows a Black Caps tournament exit, the scapegoating and finger pointing has surrounded Brendon McCullum's dual role as keeper and batsman. During the 2020 World Cup in the West Indies the Otago favourite gave the gloves to Hopkins and declared this to be a permanent decision in the shortest form of the game. This makes some sense because McCullum is our best 2020 batsman and the team could afford to have him concentrate on maintaining that except that he didn't have a great tournament and his replacement had a worse one. Then coach Greatbatch let slip on radio that the decision may extend to every form of the game and the critics haven't stopped expressing themselves since
Former keeper Warren Lees (who has worked with Brendon in the past) was surprised at the idea and disappointed at the prospect of one of the world's best keepers retiring from that role. He also suggested that McCullum's attitude towards the role may have changed since he lost the vice-captaincy. I would respectfully disagree and suggest that the problem grew out of the emphasis on his batting. When he was picked in 2003-4 it was for his keeping ability and competent batting (like most keepers) but then a few special innings invited comparisons with Gilchrist and suddenly he had to maintain such standards - at least in the public's eye. The whole thing got overinflated to the point where the vice-captaincy was taken from him so he might improve his BATTING! Overinflated to the point where he thinks he can play as just a batsman. Well time will tell

NEWS

• Shane Warne has predictably come out in support of the IPL despite the accusations surrounding its head man. I don't lend much to this because 1) Warne is not a lawyer and could not speak as any kind of expert on this topic, and 2) he just wants to keep his job
• Speaking of the IPL, if it continues next year, it will be joined by Steve Waugh who is reported to be joining one of the new teams as an advisor
• Graeme Smith has hit back (via twitter) against the criticism levelled at his team after their poor showing in the West Indies claiming a few stones are being thrown from people in glass houses. I would tend to agree and perhaps remind people to not care so much about 2020 cricket
• On the other hand, the India coach Gary Kirsten has been very scathing in his opinions of his own charges with questions over their fitness and drive featuring heavily
• The ICC has announced that day-night test cricket is on its way in 2011
• Finally, Shane Bond has retired from all forms of cricket and finishes with:
• 18 tests for 87 wickets @ 22.09 with 5 5WHs and 1 10WM
• 82 ODIs for 143 wickets @ 20.88 with 4 5WHs
• His strike rates of 38 in tests and 29 in ODIs are among the best in the history of the game. He was easily the best and most threatening NZ bowler since Hadlee and his success is only surpassed by his constant injuries which accounts for such as small record from 9 years of cricket
• Personally he was a favourite of mine mostly because he scared the hell out of cricketers wearing yellow and green

RECENT RESULTS

• England put together their most consistent and convincing effort in a World Cup event since 1992 which culminated in their thrashing of Australia in the final this week. Congratulations although I wouldn't get too carried away with 2020 cricket
• The New Zealand women's team lost narrowly in their final against Australia. I don't know why this is so disappointing to us. They are easily our best international sport team in recent years. Lets get some perspective people

ARTICLE OF INTEREST
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/458526.html

This piece came out a little while before Bond's retirement but it's quite good all the same. Very honest and made up of some good questions and answers

LOOKING BACK
May 12th (1956) - The anniversary of New Zealand's first test victory in Auckland against the West Indies (a very good team at the time).
However it would be almost two decades before NZ won a test against Australia (1974) when on the same day Glenn Turner completed twin centuries (first kiwi to do this)

Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again
It's good bye for now