McCullum is exposed at the top
Brendon McCullum is no opening batsman, and his talents will remain further unfulfilled while he continues in the role, writes Chris Rattue in the New Zealand Herald .
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Brendon McCullum is no opening batsman, and his talents will remain further unfulfilled while he continues in the role, writes Chris Rattue in the New Zealand Herald.
His technique is too risky, too loose. McCullum, who has a decent test average by New Zealand standards, doesn't look like an opener. He doesn't have the application to adapt his game either.
"When Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden tore into opposition bowling attacks, they did so with a sense of control. It did not look reckless," writes Mark Richardson in the New Zealand Herald. "If this expansive top order wants to do Test cricket justice, they must pay more than lip service to it and apply more of the proven basics of the game."
Unlike the truly great attacking openers - a rare breed including Australian Matthew Hayden, who is about to take up the T20 cudgels at the age of 40 - McCullum lacks a base from which to consistently launch his brilliant shot-making against new ball attacks. Hayden destroyed opponents with a presence that said he had learnt the opener's craft, and then expanded upon that.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo