Canterbury coach suggests McCullum as Test opener

New Zealand should consider Brendon McCullum as a solution to their top-order Test woes, according to the Canterbury coach Dave Nosworthy. The national selectors are meeting in Christchurch this week to decide on a squad to tour England and the opening positions will again be one of their major talking points.

Jamie How and Matthew Bell were used against England last month and although How showed promise in making 92 in the first Test, Bell scored three ducks from his six innings. Bell was fresh from a century against Bangladesh, where his opening colleague was Craig Cumming, and just two months prior Cumming had been partnered by Michael Papps in South Africa.

McCullum opens in one-day internationals and Nosworthy believes promoting his former Canterbury player in Tests would be a gamble worth taking. "It's a bit out of left field I know, but the selectors should think about it," Nosworthy told the Press. "It throws the gauntlet down to the Poms and sends a strong message to them.

"I'm sure some of their new-ball bowlers would be a bit edgy if they had to face Baz [McCullum] first up after what he did in the one-day series. We lack some depth in the top order and that could be a way around it if other things don't work."

McCullum averaged 65.25 in the recent limited-overs contests against England and in early March he blasted the fastest century and highest score in New Zealand's domestic one-day history in the State Shield final. Although constructing a careful and lengthy innings might not be McCullum's strength, Nosworthy said a new approach from the Test openers may be welcome.

"No-one has put their hand up massively for the job," he said. "I know it puts a lot of pressure when the keeper is on his feet all day in the field but the way Baz bats he scores quickly and not out there for that long a period. He could certainly take the shine off the ball quickly."