Ryder bats for struggling McCullum

Injured New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has come out in support of his limited-overs opening partner Brendon McCullum. McCullum recently lost the vice-captaincy against calls for him to move down the order - he averages 26.10 with just two half-centuries in 20 innings - but Ryder believes he should be persisted with at the top.

"I think he should stay up there and I don't see why people are saying put him back to seven because the records show that we do pretty well together up the top of the order," he told tvnz.co.nz. "It's not very often that we fail as a partnership and at this stage I think it's been really good."

Daniel Vettori, New Zealand's captain and a selector, has expressed his desire to push McCullum down the order in future in order to exploit the batting Powerplay.

Ryder and McCullum have opened together 19 times and have added a century on five occasions and the left-handed batsman was keen to continue his alliance. "It's good for both of us because our personalities combine well when we bat with each other out and he really is a calming influence on me," said Ryder, who has been ruled out of the upcoming limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE.

Ryder is undergoing rehab for his abdominal injury and is aiming to return to action for Wellington before Christmas.