New Zealand look 'the complete World Cup outfit' under Brendon McCullum
Black Caps have got all of the bases covered, says Butch
Thursday 21 April 2016 16:59, UK
New Zealand look the complete one-day outfit under the inspirational leadership of Brendon McCullum, says Mark Butcher.
The Black Caps got their World Cup campaign off to an emphatic start with a 98-run victory over Sri Lanka at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Saturday.
McCullum plundered 65 off 49 balls to set the tone for a dominant batting display, putting on 111 with Martin Guptill for the first wicket before Kane Williamson (57) and Corey Anderson (75 off 46 balls) picked up the big-hitting mantle.
But it was McCullum who caught the eye of former England opener Butcher, who said: "He has such self-belief, such self-confidence. The pitch was meant to be a little bit tacky. There had been some rain around, the weather was bad.
"He just decided 'OK, there’s a length that I don't want Sri Lanka to bowl and if they bowl it there, I'm running at it and attacking it'.
"Lasith Malinga was a little of colour because he’s been out of the game for a long time but McCullum gives the bowlers nightmares because you know that if you let that ball go and it doesn’t go exactly where you want it to, he’s going to punish you.
"The way he captains the team is fabulous as well - he must instil so much confidence in his players because he always backs them to do the aggressive thing.
"New Zealand have got the bases covered so well. Anderson is left-arm, medium quick – he perfectly complements the likes of Tim Southee.
"They’ve got the left-armers of Trent Boult, they’ve got off-spin in Nathan McCullum if they choose to pick him. The evergreen Daniel Vettori is bowling brilliantly again.
"They look the complete outfit at the moment. There were questions, I suppose, about how they would handle being fancied as opposed to being dark horses. On the evidence of their win over Sri Lanka, it isn’t bothering them one bit."
Anderson was named man-of-the-match after adding figures of 2-18 to his brutal innings, which featured eight fours and two sixes.
Sky Sports pundit Bob Willis hailed his contribution, saying: "He’s an extraordinary player. He’s just appeared on the scene out of nowhere. It was only that incredible innings by AB de Villiers in Johannesburg that deprived Anderson of the fastest century in one-day international cricket.
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"There’s nothing to say that he won’t beat that in this competition. He’s a superb all-round cricketer, particularly in the one-day format.
"You’ve got to remember that New Zealand’s cricketers are all the time in the shadow of the All Blacks rugby team – it’s much more difficult to express yourself as a cricketer.
"But hats off to Brendon McCullum. You don’t have to think back too far to the disarray that New Zealand were in with Vettori giving up the captaincy and Ross Taylor being given the job and that being taken away from him.
"So it was a very, very delicate situation when Brendon McCullum came in and tried to galvanise this team with all the distractions of T20 cricket going on around the world."
Watch New Zealand take on Scotland in Monday's Group A clash at 10pm on Sky Sports World Cup. Don't miss our live preview show before then, starting at 9pm.
