Cricket: McCullum closes the gap

Brendon McCullum. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Brendon McCullum has made a late bid for the captaincy of the Black Caps even though Ross Taylor is still favourite.

In the long-running quest to find the successor to Daniel Vettori, some new moves have surfaced which some cricket insiders say reflect the strength of McCullum's closing of the gap with Taylor.

The pair showcased themselves with presentations on their suitability to lead the team - a step not originally planned but which is thought to have come out of some late support for McCullum from various quarters.

They were interviewed in Christchurch on Friday by national coach John Wright, stand-in national selection manager Mark Greatbatch and director of cricket John Buchanan.

Their decision is expected to be rubber-stamped by the board and released as early as this week, along with a list of the 20 contracted players for the forthcoming year.

McCullum's chances of becoming skipper have improved in recent weeks and the presentation and job interview may have helped his cause.

Player leadership recommendations - as part of the annual review process - are also understood to be glowing about McCullum's influence within the team.

The decision is ultimately in the hands of the selectors rather than by a show of player hands but McCullum is believed to be backed by the majority of the team, including Vettori, who will continue to play tests and possibly 50-over one-dayers.

While Taylor improved during the World Cup, filling in for the injured Vettori, McCullum remains more adept at dealing with the added extras of the role like fronting the media and offering an insight to a demanding public on the intricacies of Black Caps performances. Some put Taylor's favouritism now at roughly 60-40; when it had previously been roughly assessed at 80-20.

The prospect of Mike Hesson joining the Black Caps as national selection manager or team manager could also help sway the decision.

Hesson unlocked the best in McCullum as his coach with Otago, highlighted not only by the one-day century (170 off 108 balls in the final against Auckland) which took the province to its first title in 20 years in 2007-08 but also his influence on younger players.

The selection panel will be mindful of a long-term strategy. That could involve giving McCullum (29) the reins for a couple of years while Taylor (27) continues to mature into a world-class middle order batsman.

McCullum's aggressive, gung-ho style could benefit New Zealand who have slumped in recent years outside of earning places in the Champions Trophy final and World Cup semifinals. Since the 2007 World Cup, the team has played 32 tests and won just six, including four against Bangladesh and one each against England and Pakistan.

However, Taylor - who could receive the captaincy as a surprise wedding present before he marries long-term fiancée Victoria Brown on Saturday - has the support of long term mentor Greatbatch; also the interim national selection manager.

Taylor was Greatbatch's choice as captain at national under-19 level and played under him at Central Districts. Coach Wright has been non-committal on his preference, other than to say he values the candidate being a "strong competitor" over other qualities. At the end of the World Cup he noted: "If you're not performing, people stop listening. Leadership is performance."

Taylor made a strong case at the World Cup with the bat and as an in-fielder. He scored 250 runs and averaged 50 against the five test-playing nations, compared to McCullum's 10.60. In McCullum's defence, he battled a knee injury and could not be rested without a specialist back-up wicketkeeper in the squad. He still made a century against Canada, a half-century against Zimbabwe and remained unbeaten against Kenya.

The possibility of a split leadership with one player leading in tests and another in one-dayers has been raised, but remains an unlikely solution.