Malan is betting on Kiwi thoroughbred

McCULLUM HAS PEDIGREE TO GET ENGLAND RACING

ROB KEY will hope his punt on Brendon McCullum pays off as well as one of the new Test head coach’s best horses.

McCullum also loves a gamble but is not afraid to play his part in the development of thoroughbred talent – as he does at his boutique racing yard in New Zealand.

It is not just about turning up at the course and collecting the winnings, it is about the love of competition and getting his hands dirty with the work that goes into it that makes McCullum tick.

It is what he did during his time as a player and captain of New Zealand as he instigated the change in attitudes that brought about a change in fortunes for the Blackcaps.

He gave them an identity to be proud of and the motivation to do the hard yards that eventually gave them results.

It was about giving his players belief in themselves, reminding them why they fell in love with the game, and he matched it with the belief he showed in them.

It is that side of McCullum, right, that Key hopes to see as he works with

Ben Stokes to lift the England Test team off the bottom of the World Test Championship.

Dawid Malan, his former team-mate and opening partner at Middlesex in 2016, said: “He is a brilliant bloke and so down to earth.

“For a guy who has achieved everything he has, he is incredibly inclusive with everyone. He understands people and how to get the best out of them, which is why he has been so successful.

“The influence he had on Eoin Morgan in the white-ball arena was to be consistent with selection to help take away the fear of failure.

“It is about understanding that and giving people the freedom to make mistakes and to learn and keep learning.

“I can see Brendon together with Stokesy creating an unbelievably fun environment in which people can be themselves, which is so important in a highpressure situation like Test cricket.”

McCullum has never coached a red-ball match, Key has never been a director of cricket and Stokes has captained only one firstclass match.

But the trio combined feels about right. They are three men who know an awful lot about cricket and have nearly 200 Test caps between them.Who else really knows more about this game?

Malan said: “Brendon had a knack of saying the right thing at the right time. He’s got terrific leadership qualities and I learned so much from him.”

We will soon find out if England’s Test team can do the same.