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New Zealand in Bangladesh 2008-09
No. 2 ranking would be 'incredible' - McCullum
Cricinfo staff
September 25, 2008
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Brendon McCullum has relished his role as ODI opener and it has helped New Zealand rise in the ODI rankings
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Brendon McCullum says it will be a major achievement for a changing New Zealand side if they can snare the world No. 2 ODI ranking during their tour of Bangladesh. New Zealand are currently fourth on the ICC table but if they beat Bangladesh 3-0, they will jump both England and South Africa to sit behind only Australia.
"If we can do that, and we should, that would be quite incredible in my view for a team that has had so many changes recently," McCullum told the Press. "If we can play the brand of cricket we have of late we must have a reasonable shot at it."
Part of the reason for New Zealand's recent success has been the decision for McCullum to open instead of playing the role of closer at No. 7. That full-time role started at the beginning of the 2007-08 season and since then McCullum has averaged 53.83 in ODIs.
"For the first time I entered the season with some real clarity about how I wanted to play," he said. "I just wanted to play my natural style of game and do what I know works for me.
"A lot of guys can be afraid to take risks but I relish taking the bowlers on. Some days it does not come off and you die by the sword but generally it's been okay. It's quite simple really, it's more about having the conviction to see it through."
McCullum spent Wednesday at a training camp for New Zealand's batsmen in Christchurch, while the bowlers convened in Auckland before the squad departs for Bangladesh next week. Bangladesh have this month been hit by the departures of 13 players to join the ICL but John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, did not expect that to weaken their side.
"Their best players, five or six of them like [Mohammad] Ashraful, [Mashrafe] Mortaza, Tamim [Iqbal] are still there," Bracewell said. "The players that have gone are more around the fringes of the team or players who were getting toward the end of their careers."
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