Cricket: Pundits split over spot for McCullum

New Zealand's two most experienced wicketkeepers take different views on the vexed issue of where to bat the incumbent gloveman, Brendon McCullum, in the national one-day team.

Ian Smith maintains he should return to the middle order; Adam Parore backs him to stay at the top.

Parore will be proved right in the short term. With Jesse Ryder out for the ODI trip to Abu Dhabi to play Pakistan next month, New Zealand aren't about to blood two new openers.

But longer term it might be a different story.

It is a topic which has flooded radio talkback and produced a pile of statistics which can make a case for any number of arguments.

Captain Dan Vettori likes the fact that it has brought about robust debate. He reckons McCullum has done a good job as an opener, but thinks the best time for a valid judgment is when he is in his best form.

Smith played 63 tests and 98 ODIs; Parore, essentially his long-term successor, 78 tests and 179 ODIs. Both were highly competent batsmen who understand the demands of the two jobs.

Smith is adamant; McCullum should go back to a role around No 6 or 7 in the order. He cites the rule change which introduced a five-over batting power play into one-day cricket - to be used at the batting team's discretion during which the fielding side can have a maximum of only three fielders outside the inner circle - as crucial to his argument.

"When I saw that come into the rules I thought it might as well have been called the McCullum Play," Smith said yesterday.

"It is absolutely tailormade for him, to come in towards the end of the innings, dictate where he wanted to use the play against a tired bowling attack with a less effective ball."

Smith said dictating terms to quality new-ball attacks is not easy. The best openers can get dismissed by a fine delivery early. His argument is that it can be a waste of one of New Zealand's best batting talents.

"To me, the role for him, quite clearly, is to dictate the end of the innings rather than the start," Smith said.

Several players could fill the 1 to 5 batting spots, but Nos 6 and 7 are pivotal - "hugely important to your equation". McCullum and Vettori are the ideal combination to make use of the latter stages.

Batting average notwithstanding, Smith pointed out that McCullum's solitary ODI century, 166 against Ireland last year, is insufficient return.

"You're spending one of your great assets and risking too much to lose him too early. Whenever you pick a side of individuals you try and pick for the good of the group.

"I firmly believe now that his best role to support and benefit the team is to try and close the deal, rather than initiate it."

Parore takes a different view. "I think pushing him back down to No 6 or 7 would probably be a bit of a waste," he said.

"My preference in terms of trying to solve your lower middle problem would be to bring Dan up as opposed to pushing Brendon down."

Parore argues that McCullum's strokemaking ability and strike rate capability are not in question.

"Nobody would question he doesn't have the talent to have an impact long-term at the top of the order.

"I prefer to look at it from the perspective of what can he do to make it work as opposed to conceding defeat and consigning him back to the middle order."

Parore said McCullum's numbers as an opener should mean "that's the end of the issue. I was expecting him to be averaging 24 or so based on the mountain of feeling."

There was no argument he was capable of averaging better than 37.17 "but with that he's not hamstringing the side too much and you'd expect over time he's going to do a better job".

Which brings us to the skipper.

Vettori accepted that McCullum had not had the success he'd have hoped for in the past year and knows there are solid arguments both ways.

"I know it's going to be a constant debate and it's a good debate to have. I know why people want to put him back to No 7 because he did a great job for us, but you've got to put into perspective that he's done a pretty good job as an opener."

Vettori, now a national selector, hinted at an open mind, once all the candidates were fit, which means Ryder recovering from the groin injury he picked up at the Champions Trophy.

"The ultimate answer for him is to go away and score lots of runs on the Abu Dhabi trip, then we have a really good debate on our hands when everybody is fit and well.

"The reality is if it works out that batting No 6 or 7 is the best way for him to win games for the team then it would be the right move to move him back.

"At the moment, with the injury to Ryder, it's not the right time."

Vettori harked back to the England tour two summers ago when McCullum and Ryder were paired at the top for the first time. The results were spectacular, with opening stands of 61 (13 overs), 165 (18.1), 7 (1.5), 70 (10.1) and 103 (11.2).

"Everyone was saying that was the matchwinning opening partnership that could win the World Cup.

"The real key is getting Brendon back to that run-scoring form then say what is the best option as opposed to trying to fiddle around with it when we haven't quite got all our options in front of us."

McCULLUM'S ODI BATTING LINE
Overall: 160 matches, 3159 runs at 28.2, 1-100
Batting No 6-9: 93 matches, 1415 at 25.72, 0-100
As opener: 57 matches,1660 at 33.2, 1-100
As opener in current period since November 2007: 45 matches, 1487 at 37.17, 1-100