Taylor, McCullum key for New Zealand
It doesn't take much to work out that New Zealand's chances in the World Twenty20 rest on the fortunes of two batsmen - Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, writes Andrew Alderson in New Zealand Herald
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
It doesn't take much to work out that New Zealand's chances in the World Twenty20 rest on the fortunes of two batsmen - Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, writes Andrew Alderson in New Zealand Herald. Both have warmed up with big innings - McCullum in Chennai and Taylor in the practice game against South Africa.
That is where the mercurial qualities of Taylor are important. The 28-year-old can lead by example, as demonstrated by 131 off 124 balls at last year's World Cup to obliterate Pakistan in pool play. That was played in Pallekele, which is New Zealand's home for the group stage of the World T20. On his 27th birthday Taylor split his innings into 76 runs from 111 balls and 55 from 13. That surreal baker's dozen off Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq produced four fours and six sixes.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo