Brendon McCullum's cricket leadership is captivating Kiwi sports fans. All Blacks captain Richie McCaw's success, capped by a World Cup win, has come over a long period but if McCullum led New Zealand to victory in cricket's showpiece, it would be against greater odds. Andrew Alderson looks at how the
Cricket World Cup: Masters of their realm
Herald on Sunday
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All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, right, and Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum.
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Tests: 137 (121 won, 14 lost, 2 drawn)
Tests as captains: 100 (88 won, 10 lost, 2 drawn)
Other matches/ODIs: 1 (1 win)
Other matches/ODIs as captains: 1 (1 loss*)
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Performance
McCaw's set jaw and an inscrutable countenance help inspire his team from openside flanker, the high-viz vest of rugby positions. If a No 7 is slow from a set piece or misses a tackle, it's often at first contact, so more obvious to the viewer. The blemishes are few.
Captaincy
Appears to be an action-not-words type. McCaw's fitness and dedication resonates with the core mantra to all successful leadership: Only ask others to do what you're prepared to do yourself. It's the guaranteed way to earn respect.
Body
Has an incredible capacity for punishment, as dished about by every thug who has played the All Blacks since his 2001 debut. A knee here and a punch there, punctuated by the odd gouge, has been shrugged off by an openside flanker maniacal about possession. McCaw's capacity to withstand the urge for retribution will be part of his legacy***.
Triumph
Winning the World Cup at home and anaesthetising the concerns of a country neurotic about its status in the rugby world. The discipline shown in the second half is tattooed on All Blacks fans' memories.
Disaster
Losing the quarter-final at the Rugby World Cup in 2007, after which he considered stepping down as since led New Zealand in 77 tests and won 70.
Legacy
Captaining the All Blacks in 100 tests is unlikely to be surpassed-people are already jesting McCaw's portrait should appear on banknotes. The Government's more serious. He looks set to be knighted Las Vegas chapel-style once he steps off a field for the final time.
Brendon McCullum
Age: 33
Education: King's High School, Dunedin
International career: 2002-2015
Tests: 92** (27 won, 40 lost, 25 drawn)
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Tests as captains: 22 (8 won, 6 lost, 8 drawn)
Other matches/ODIs: 244 (125 won, 102 lost, 2 tied, 15 no results)
Other matches/ODIs as captains: 46 (25 won, 17 lost, 1 tied, 3 no results)
Performance
McCullum's 'that's the way I play' attitude has polarised fans across his career, but those who frothed with consternation are being convinced otherwise. His relentless attack, insured by a stronger middle order, has revolutionised the current set-up - fearless fielding further highlights his commitment.
Captaincy
The highlight to his era has been the analysis of opposition teams and execution of plans to maximise the chance of success. His cricket brain compares to Stephen Fleming out-thinking teams with limited means. McCullum has better cattle.
Body
Knows how to deal with pain after wicketkeeping at international level for 52 tests, 184 ODIs and 42 T20Is. He's likely to be walking like Quasimodo by the time he gets his gold card. Also suffered the force of a Mitchell Johnson delivery crashing into his forearmlast weekend. Fortunately, he suffered bruising rather than the end of his World Cup. Armguards can be a pest but it should be considered if it saves a date with plaster of Paris.
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Triumph
Eeny, meeny miny, moe . . . Which test series victory to choose out of the West Indies (home and away), India or Sri Lanka? Probably India as one of The Big Three, and the way the second test was saved by his triple century.
Disaster
Leading the test team for the first time and being part of the collapse for 45 at Cape Town after deciding to bat. His tenure could only improve from there.
Legacy
Test feats are paramount in cricket but, to the general public, if McCullum leads his side to a World Cup, they will have taken the sport into uncharted territory for this country. The Brendon McCullum Oval in Dunedin, perhaps?
*25-18 v Barbarians in 2009.
**Only two players - AB De Villiers (98) and Adam Gilchrist (96) - have played more consecutive matches since their debuts. Performance.
***With the exception of dealing to Springbok fan Pieter van Zyl when he attempted to king-hit referee Dave McHugh at Durban in 2002.
For more coverage of the Cricket World Cup from nzherald.co.nz and NZME check out #CricketFever.
