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**Official** New Zealand in Australia

Woodster

Woodster

International Captain
Tim said:
Brian Waddle told me last night that McCullum's future as a keeper/batsman in the long term is looking very shaky.

Im not overally worried what's going on in this tour match. New Zealand has traditionally struggled in these fixtures anyway. As long as they show a bit of attitude and application against the Aussies and don't get disgraced, that'll be fine by me.
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Think that would be a big woory for both New Zealand and McCullum imo. McCullum seems to have developed into a very tidy keeper, and it would certainly take something away from NZ to lose that, and I'm not sure McCullum would cut it as a top 4/5 batsman. His style is ultra positive and recently he has begun succeeding more times than he fails, which the way he bats, shows his batting has come on (or he is just in a decent run of form). However, he may feel a little more inhibited should he be picked solely as a batsman, the pressure on him to score runs will grow, and I just don't believe he has the game or temperament to become a consistent top order run scoring batsman.

His impact at 7 is fantastic, and I'm sure if NZ's top order was stronger, they would prefer him coming in at this position, unfortunately it isn't and the inevitable talk is of pushing him up the order. For me though I can't see the decision to take the gloves off him having a Sangakkara-type effect.
 
P

Polo23

International Debutant
McCullum definitely has the talent to turn himself into a great batsman, and I don't think his attitude towards the game would change whether he was playing a batsman, or a WK-batsman. We saw in England when Hopkins took the gloves that he batted exactly the same. His problem is that he needs to find a balance between his one day game, and a normal person's test game. I have no doubt that if he just put away the bad balls, and saw off the good balls he would score faster than most people anyway, such is his incredibly fast hands and footwork he generally makes balls which are good to some batsmen, hittable for him.

Hopefully he'll come good on this tour to Aussie, if he plays of course.
 
Woodster

Woodster

International Captain
Polo23 said:
McCullum definitely has the talent to turn himself into a great batsman, and I don't think his attitude towards the game would change whether he was playing a batsman, or a WK-batsman. We saw in England when Hopkins took the gloves that he batted exactly the same. His problem is that he needs to find a balance between his one day game, and a normal person's test game. I have no doubt that if he just put away the bad balls, and saw off the good balls he would score faster than most people anyway, such is his incredibly fast hands and footwork he generally makes balls which are good to some batsmen, hittable for him.

Hopefully he'll come good on this tour to Aussie, if he plays of course.
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Having Hopkins take over for a game or two is considerably different to giving up the gloves full time and becoming a specialist batsman. In my eyes, McCullum can only bat one way, and it is an effective style, but it is not going to achieve consistent top order runs. Yes he does need to find a blend of one-day and Test styles, I'm not sure he can. The idea of constantly taking the game to the bowlers will always give the fielding side a chance. In Tests he has to acknowledge when a bowler is on song and sit in, grit it out.
 
jondavluc

jondavluc

State Regular
NZTailender said:
Can imagine the first test.

30.1 Vettori to Ponting, lands outside off, Ponting leaves, ball collected by Vettori behind the stumps, throws it to Vettori at long on who rubs some dirt off the ball, and throws it back to Vettori
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LOL
Symonds and Watson create selection poser

They couldn't possibly be thinking about leaving out Clark again, could they?
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I would consider betting my left nut that they do though I don't agree with it.
 
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jondavluc

jondavluc

State Regular
Ok nsw chasing 162 for victory so I would suggest the new zealand fans start praying to the cricket gods that they can get them all out though it looks doubtful.

Also the already have fifty runs.
 
S.P. Fleming

S.P. Fleming

U19 Cricketer
im not too concerned as we cant read to much into the match with the injuries and illness and so forth. I dont think we have bowled all that terribly throughout the match but some guys in the top order need some form. I dont see the point in playing all four medium-fast right arm bowlers so I would rather see the batting bolstered throught fulton.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I dont see the point in playing all four medium-fast right arm bowlers
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You say that as if they're all the same type of bowler. They're all quite different about from perhaps Mills and Southee.
 
S.P. Fleming

S.P. Fleming

U19 Cricketer
Prince EWS said:
You say that as if they're all the same type of bowler. They're all quite different about from perhaps Mills and Southee.
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yea i suppose although Martin and O'Brien are quite similar. I just think that we need the extra batsman because our tail really isnt good.
 
chaminda_00

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Good signs from the Baby Blues with most of the youngsters stepping, even if it was against sub-standard side. I think our next match is against the Vics. Hopefully the selectors lose their brains again and forgot to pick Clark. Would be so gun having Clark, Bollinger and Cameron back. Just need Jaques and Katich back and we will be sweet.
 
Athlai

Athlai

Not Terrible
Well it was a FC match wasn't it?

Hopefully McCullum's foot injury isn't so bad but I have a bad feeling he'll miss at least the first Test.
 
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