Paul Lewis: Pampered players risk losing cricket fans

The gloves are off. Cartoon / Parry Jones

Brendon McCullum's apparent willingness to shuck the wicketkeeping gloves has shown up some inherent weaknesses in New Zealand cricket, off the field.

It's perception time, ladies and gentlemen, and cricket in this country doesn't always have a lot of friends.

Not when fans perceive players to be earning money not always commensurate with achievement; with power beyond their station; who produce mediocre results; and a game, in New Zealand anyway, which has only candy floss control over players.

It's since come out that McCullum, speaking to the Dominion Post yesterday, says he will always put the team first; that he will meet to decide on his wicketkeeping future with selectors, NZC boss Justin Vaughan and agent, Stephen Fleming. If it's decided that he must keep wicket, he says he will, although he has a bad back.

It's good to hear, because the way the news broke about McCullum's decision provoked a storm of protest that underlined the feelings expressed above; feelings NZ Cricket might do well to consider.

When coach Mark Greatbatch dropped into conversation with Radio Sport that McCullum might be dropping the gloves, there was a thought that Greatbatch might have inadvertently dropped McCullum in it.

The outpouring of talkback bile after that revelation was also a revelation. It seemed to run deeper than the usual knee-jerkism.

McCullum didn't do himself any favours, remaining silent while debate raged over his "selfish" motives in wanting to become a specialist batsman - weakening the team. A wicketkeeper-batsman is effectively two players, allowing the selectors to employ another bat or an all-rounder in the side.

There was also bad timing. Shane Bond has just retired. Cricket in this country is not enjoying a boom. The players and NZC are, because of the money that has flowed into the game from the IPL, sponsors and other sources. Some top players (like McCullum) are remunerated at a level above that of all but the most senior All Blacks.

But a truckload of money for a thimbleful of results is taking a toll on the game's perception here. The same sorry statements are made after the each let-down. It's the batting; it's the bowling; it's disappointing. New Zealand cricket needs more than a shot in the arm - it's getting dangerously close to needing a syringe full of adrenalin straight into the old raspberry tart.

NZC and McCullum did little to mend such perceptions. Herald on Sunday requests to speak to McCullum were met with silence. Then McCullum's words above were reported in the Dominion Post after sports editor Jonathan Millmow spoke to McCullum.

When the Herald on Sunday protested, we were told that McCullum had decreed he would speak only to Millmow and to Dylan Cleaver of the New Zealand Herald.

This smacks of the - can we say arrogance? - cavalier attitude that is annoying many fans about New Zealand cricket. McCullum is perfectly entitled to talk to whomsoever he pleases and the Herald on Sunday sends its warm regards to Millmow and Cleaver; the latter a former staffer here, and both fine men.

Cleaver has co-written McCullum's book due out soon. Millmow is close to Fleming, McCullum's agent. Good luck to them, but McCullum's attitude of speaking only to those who might have the most sympathetic ears smacks again of the perceptions mentioned in the second paragraph.

The parallels with rugby are inescapable - another sport and players embracing the rewards of professionalism and, as a result, losing touch with many fans. However, at least rugby is trying to deal with its issues. At least the All Blacks take on the best in the world and, mostly, succeed.

Cricket, on the other hand, seems locked into an endless series of replays against the likes of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other members of cricket's international second tier.

Even when we do get to play with the big boys it's often counter-productive - with the Black Caps building hope; then dashing it. This kind of boom-bust, euphoria-depression thing is taxing. In the end, a perception begins to dominate: overpaid, over-hyped and ... over it altogether.

Greatbatch, in discussing the McCullum issue, managed to sound powerless and bored at the same time.

The overall effect, for any listening fan, was infuriating - a national team endlessly producing limited results as the money rolls in; a coach who appears unable to do anything about an issue like McCullum's wicketkeeping; and a top player with a personal decision that weakened the team.

The truth will be far from that - but we are talking perception here and asking a question: Why should the fans give a damn?