For too long, New Zealanders have had to put up with the weakest of excuses from some of their sportsmen and women. "That's just the way I play" or something along those lines has often been trotted out after another limp effort. In effect, the players are suggesting that changes which would improve their performance are somehow beyond them. We must take them as they are with all their limitations and accept that second-best is good enough as long as sporadic success is delivered.
In reality, however, this is just an excuse for an unwillingness, mentally or physically, to put in the work required to achieve success consistently. Never has that been more evident than in New Zealand's glorious summer of cricket.
Test series victories over the West Indies and India, the world's second-rated team, were achieved, in large part, on the mountain of runs scored by the Black Caps' captain, Brendon McCullum, and Ross Taylor. McCullum's season was topped off by the triple-century, the first by a New Zealander, which saved the second test against India. Taylor, for his part, seemed unable to stop scoring runs.
At the start of the summer, however, this sort of output seemed unthinkable. Throughout their careers, both men had demonstrated flaws in technique and approach that undermined their natural talent.
McCullum had a well-warranted reputation for impetuosity. Too often, he gave away his wicket too easily. That has changed with his elevation to the captaincy. Team requirements have led McCullum to add a mental toughness to his game, never more so than during his marathon 302 at the Basin Reserve. If his approach is still relatively adventurous, it is tailored far more to the situation, as are the shots he chooses to play.
