Australia should not take their eye off winning the series

One of the recurring lines Ricky Ponting used to deliver to the Australian Test team before we walked onto the field went something like this: "Make sure we play them on skill and not emotion. No one can match us on skill."

We talked often about playing teams on skill and not emotion, and it is more relevant than usual over the next couple of weeks. The end of the Chappell-Hadlee series in Hamilton showed how much emotion there is around Brendon McCullum's final summer as an international player, and there will be plenty more of that when we come around to his 100th Test in Wellington and his last one in Christchurch.

Therefore it is very important that Australia focus on the right things leading into this series. That means not getting caught up in that emotion, concentrating on the job at hand, and then enjoying a beer with the New Zealand guys at the end of the series. The right time to celebrate Brendon's career will be in those closing moments, not before.

From the vantage point of international retirement it is a little easier to reflect on "Baz" and his significance as a cricketer. I had a bit to do with him years back when Steve Rixon was coach of New South Wales. Brendon spent some time at Balmain Cricket Club and we spent a lot of time catching together with "Stumpa" at the club.

It was pretty apparent even then how ultra-competitive he was. He plays the game the right way, but he certainly plays it to win, and he leaves nothing out on the field by the end of the contest. You only have to look at the way he throws himself around the field for an example of his commitment and leadership.

What Brendon has done with New Zealand cricket over the past few years has been truly exceptional. To take them to their first ever World Cup final and to have them playing with such a fearless and entertaining style brought a new and fresh edge to ODI cricket, in my view. Containment and control of the scoreboard have always been key elements of the one-day formula, but Brendon's approach was to take the game on, pretty much every ball.

Some teams have tried that on a one-off basis, or when they are left with no other option by the match situation, but the difference with New Zealand was that this approach had been settled upon after much thought between Brendon and the coach, Mike Hesson. They came up with game plans that would suit New Zealand cricket and they've been very successful in all formats.

For all their achievements, I still believe a mental hurdle does exist for New Zealand when it comes to facing Australia, particularly in Test matches. We have always viewed the Ashes as our No. 1 goal, and often that has added to the pressure of a series. For the Black Caps, their equivalent is to face Australia, and they would love nothing more than to come out on top.

As a result, there's a lot of pressure both externally and internally to beat Australia. I know from personal experience that we faced numerous New Zealand teams in the past that, deep down, were not sure if they believed they could beat us. Under Brendon, belief has grown enormously within New Zealand cricket, but those little demons of self-doubt will still be there in some form.

The World Cup last year provided an example of how we chipped away at New Zealand's belief even as we were losing a thrilling match in Auckland. Our batsmen were ambushed to an extent by some excellent bowling and an extremely noisy and hostile Eden Park crowd, but by the end of the match we felt we had taken more out of the contest by making it so close. New Zealand had been blitzing every opponent at home, but we managed to close the gap.

Mitchell Starc played a massive part in that, of course, and this time around he is missing. The absence of his X-factor is something that New Zealand will note. Mitchell was world-class over the past 12 months, winning big moments for Australia and taking crucial wickets. Without him, the bowling attack will have to work closely together to build pressure and create opportunities. Brendon will be talking to his team about not letting that pressure build.

Over these two Tests, Brendon will again go head to head with Australia's captain, Steven Smith, who led his side to a win at home in the early part of the summer. Apart from the first couple of days of the first Test, New Zealand were very competitive all the way through that series, something neither team will have forgotten.

Steve has made it very clear that he wants to improve Australia's away record. A bit like Brendon, Steve has shown that if he puts his mind to a task, anything is possible. A victory over New Zealand across the Tasman, overcoming a skilful opponent inspired by the emotion of their captain's looming retirement, would be a major step in the right direction for Australia.