Cricket: McCullum's focus on T20

Black Caps and Otago spinner Nathan McCullum gives his son Luke McCullum (5) some catching tips...
Black Caps and Otago spinner Nathan McCullum gives his son Luke McCullum (5) some catching tips at New Zealand Cricket's Superstar Cricket Roadshow at the Edgar Centre yesterday. Photo by Linda Robertson.

Black Caps and Otago spinner Nathan McCullum made a rare appearance in Dunedin yesterday.

These days the Volts stalwart lives in Auckland, and has done for the last eight months, but returned to his home city to help out at New Zealand Cricket's Superstar Cricket Roadshow at the Edgar Centre.

About 400 children got a taste of the sport, including 5-year-old Luke McCullum, who had joined his father Nathan on the trip south.

''This has been a really good initiative and we have had a lot of support around the country,'' Nathan McCullum said.

The 35-year-old might live in Auckland but he has no intention of joining the Aces any time soon.

But with his cricket career nearing its twilight, he moved north to pursue other options and is working for Stellar Recruitment.

''It is a couple of mates of mine from Dunedin who I went to King's High School with, actually. They started it up years ago and I've been in talks with them over the last few years and I'm sort of doing a bit of referral stuff for a sporting recruitment company which is aligned with them.''

McCullum will captain the Otago twenty20 squad this summer but will not be available for the Volts' first two Plunket Shield games later this month.

Asked if he would play any Plunket Shield cricket this season, ''maybe'' was the only assurance he could provide.

''With 10 twenty20 games in a short space of time, playing four-day cricket and bowling 35 overs in a day isn't what my body is up to at the moment.

''I'll come down about a week or so before the T20 starts. We'll have a good eight days together building up for the campaign. In the meantime I'll just be training up in Auckland.''

McCullum he is looking forward to calling the shots during the twenty20 campaign which gets under way against Central Districts in New Plymouth on November 5.

''We've got some serious talent. It is just about harnessing that and letting our guys play positively.

''What we want to do is make sure we are still competing at the end of the competition and we'll do that by playing positive cricket.''

One bloke McCullum will be hoping to call on when the pressure goes on is Jacob Duffy.

The pace bowler had a breakthrough season in the Plunket Shield last year with 45 wickets and will be hoping to take that form into the twenty20 tournament.

Neil Broom's return and the arrival of Anaru Kitchen and Brad Wilson have lengthened the batting as well.

''They've added a lot of experience which is fantastic. You can't buy experience.''

It also meant some stiff competition for places and that could only bode well for Otago, he said.

By the way, the word is Luke is enjoys football and rugby but time will tell.

He snapped up a fine catch during the roadshow yesterday. Just saying.

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM