McCullum able to earn keep with bat

It looks like it is a case of when, not if, Brendon McCullum relinquishes the keeping gloves in Twenty20 and ODIs, and I think it will be a good thing, writes Mark Richardson in the Herald on Sunday.

McCullum has a terrific work ethic but must split that work between batting, keeping and fitness. His batting quality gained him selection as a wicketkeeper and, to his credit, he has been able to turn himself into the best keeper in the country, but he has yet to realise his true quality as a batsman.

We've seen some spectacular glimpses but not enough consistency. An average of 29 in ODIs is simply not reflective of his potential. While he is not physically an elder statesman yet, he is not young any more at 28. If he is going to make a change, then now is the time.

In the same paper, Andrew Alderson says," New Zealand's Chappell-Hadlee cricket series loss was bad enough, but also vexing is the fact the experiments trialled against Australia have generally raised more doubts than answers, less than a year out from the World Cup."