Cricket: Bats well, glovework only so-so for McCullum

By RICHARD BOOCK

Rookie New Zealand wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum needs to make further improvements to his main discipline if he wants to become a long-term test option.

Former test wicket-keeper Warren Lees, who was able to observe McCullum developing in Otago, believed the time was right to introduce the 22-year-old to the test team, even though his glovework was still suspect.

McCullum, who played 48 one-day internationals before his call-up to the test side on Tuesday night, joined opening batsman Michael Papps and seam bowler Michael Mason as the new caps for next week's first test against South Africa.

Now playing for Canterbury, McCullum was preferred to the honest toil of Northern Districts' Robbie Hart, the man who took over from Adam Parore two years ago.

Lees, who played 21 tests and 31 one-dayers for New Zealand in the mid 1970s and early 1980s, said he was pleased to see McCullum promoted but was still concerned about the standard of some of his glovework.

"I'm not sure whether he's gloving the ball that well right now, to be honest," Lees said yesterday from Dunedin. "I agree completely with his call-up but feel he still needs to develop a bit from where he is."

Lees said it was clear that McCullum was confident and primed for the task after improving his batting.

The young wicket-keeper was also presumably battle-hardened following the sometimes acrimonious one-day series, and had won the acceptance of his team-mates.

"You can tell that he doesn't feel like the junior kid now; he's established himself by scoring runs and has won over his team-mates, and that's half the battle.

"I'm sure [New Zealand captain] Stephen Fleming didn't accept him initially.

"There was a bit of aloofness there until Brendon was able to prove himself."

However, Lees said the signs were now far more positive between McCullum and his first-slip, indicating that the new gloveman had finally been accepted into the fold.

"You can see the discourse between the two now," he said.

The only concern for Lees was that McCullum's glovework was not quite keeping pace with the improvements in his batting, and still appeared vulnerable.

McCullum's one-day career has already been punctuated with a smattering of glaring mistakes, including a potential World Cup-ending miss at Centurion last year, another regulation drop in India, and a couple of errors in Pakistan.

"I just believe the whole New Zealand in-field has been a bit untidy this summer, and Brendon has to take some responsibility for that," said Lees.


Lees said he felt some sympathy for Hart, who had made no more mistakes than McCullum but was viewed as a more expendable option.

"The reality is that Robbie made a couple of mistakes and was dropped, while Brendon made a couple of errors and was promoted."

He said it was reasonable to assume that McCullum had received the nod on the basis of his potential.

"The challenge now for Brendon is to realise that potential, to improve the standard of his 'keeping so that he's more consistent."