Cricket: McCullum may still be skipper, says Vettori

Having the vice-captaincy tag removed doesn't necessarily count Brendon McCullum out of a future job as New Zealand skipper.

There is no formal second-in-command for the trip to the United Arab Emirates and the five limited-overs internationals against Pakistan, the job devolving into a shared responsibility among senior players such as Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, McCullum and Ross Taylor.

The decision by the selectors boiled down to wanting to get McCullum back into his best form, and developing more leaders within the squad.

"We had a long discussion, we talked about where we wanted to go from here and how to make this team better," captain Dan Vettori said yesterday.

"He's fully on board and still has an immense desire to captain the team. I don't see why he can't in the future."

McCullum's form with the bat has been below his best in recent times and Vettori talked of a "real desire" for him to get his best touch back.

"Sometimes when you get a vice-captain in place you don't leave yourself many other options. I know my fellow selectors want to look at a number of people, Brendon included," Vettori added.

McCullum will still captain New Zealand in the UAE should Vettori fall over. McCullum may also come under pressure to retain his opening batting spot in ODIs, once Jesse Ryder regains full fitness later in the summer.

The leadership question also ties in with Vettori's stated plan to step aside after the 2011 World Cup. He reiterated that yesterday, although if things are going swimmingly at that point, he may have a change of heart.

The issue of taking too many jobs on board is something Vettori, 30, is aware of - he is national captain and selector, best player and now de facto coach, at least for an interim period.

"I don't view it as a burden, but I've got to be careful not to be trying to do everything," Vettori said. "I look at it two ways. Hopefully I'm thriving in terms of my own personal performances. If that diminishes I know people will question the role more and more.

"Also, I've stated I don't want to captain the team for years on end, so if I can give it everything I can in this period then hopefully we can get a turnaround in results."