Cricket: Keeper ready to step forward

Say what you like about Brendon McCullum but he could never be accused of shirking the dirty jobs.

At a time when the position of New Zealand opening batsman comes with complimentary medical-alert bracelets and a lifetime supply of aspirin, McCullum has apparently been bucking trends and volunteering for the task.

The position became available this week following the shoulder injury suffered by Nathan Astle, and has since been filled by seasoned Otago opener Craig Cumming, who will move up a place from No 3.

But the fact that McCullum was keen to take on Australia's all-conquering opening bowlers, spearheaded by tearaway Brett Lee, is testimony to the toughness of New Zealand's fast-developing wicket-keeper.

The 23-year-old confirmed this week that he put his hand up for the opening role, but then laughed off his credentials and offered a vote of faith in Cumming. "I have pleaded my case [to open] but then I realised that Lee was bowling at 150 km/h-plus and it was probably better to steer clear of it," he joked.

"Craig Cumming's a quality player of fast bowling and we're all backing him to do well, so I'll stay down the order and try to bring it home at the end."

The batsman on the end of the much-discussed Lee beamer at Eden Park last weekend, McCullum has been able to organise himself reasonably well against the opposition attack, and looks one of the better-equipped to cope with extreme pace.

His scores in the series so far have been nothing to write home about - 8, 20, 23 and 17, but he has invariably arrived at the crease in a time of crisis, and on a couple of occasions has been faced with an almost impossible assignment.

His run-in with Lee came as New Zealand were being finished off in the third one-dayer, and he said that, whatever the suggestions and comments in the media since, he had accepted both Lee's apology, and his assurances that the beamer was an accident.

"Yeah, absolutely [I accepted his apology]," said McCullum.

"I mean, at the end of the day you've got to give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of intent, and if he comes up to me and says that it wasn't [deliberate], well that's good enough for me."

McCullum was loath to suggest he had worked out the Australian pace bowlers, but said he didn't feel intimidated by the world-class combination and always looked forward to the challenge of competing against them.

"I think there's a difference between handling it and getting after it - that's a different kettle of fish," he said. "I feel comfortable on one hand, but on the other I feel on edge, and I guess that's quite a good state to be in."

Now with 61 ODIs under his belt, McCullum has seen some tough times in the past but insists the morale in the New Zealand camp is buoyant and undented, even if the series is lost and a whitewash is looming.

He said that far from wallowing in their disappointment, the team were determined to pick themselves up at McLean Park and concentrate on putting together a far more competitive performance.

"When you're four-nil down things are tough, but we've still got a lot to play for," he said.

"There's our world ranking on the line, the possibility of gaining a little bit of momentum heading into the test series, and also the issue of just salvaging some pride.

"We've just got to give the game as much as we can, and really take it to them."

BRENDON BARRIE McCULLUM

Age: 23
Played for: Otago, Canterbury, New Zealand
ODIs: 61
Runs: 685 at 20.14
Catches: 79
Stumpings: 3