Demolition man destroys reputations

‘‘Be yourself – and if in doubt, take a step forward.’’

Brendon McCullum’s name is on the lips of everyone at the World Cup. On a flight out of Wellington the day after his demolition of England, he was warmly accosted by a father with his young son and told how proud New Zealand was of him and his team. The boy left with the autograph he wanted, McCullum with a reminder of how much expectation he carries as captain of the tournament’s cohosts.

There must have been numerous encounters like this. At a civic reception in Auckland last week, McCullum told his audience: ‘‘We know you guys are riding the wave with us.’’ And what a mighty wave it was at Eden Park on Saturday as he led the demolition of Australia.

But McCullum and New Zealand would not be where they are now had it not been for the controversial decision in late 2012 of Mike Hesson, the quietly spoken and largely anonymous head coach, to sack Ross Taylor as captain. The bravery of that decision – derided at the time but shown to be correct – was the cornerstone of the success that has followed.

Taylor is a fine batsman and a decent man who could not have gone as far as he has in the game without being highly competitive, but McCullum has driven his side forward in a way that few leaders could match. The aggression he shows with the bat matched by his bold field settings. McCullum is reckoned by many good judges not only to be the best captain in the game today but one of the best they’ve seen.

Given that captaincy generally takes years to learn, how has this happened so quickly? One factor is easy to miss. Shortly after becoming captain, McCullum gave up keeping wicket. It was a logical decision – he was suffering from back and knee problems, and B J Watling was a capable replacement – but standing at midoff gave him fresh tactical perspective, time to plot moves and a means of setting an example with his energy and enthusiasm.

McCullum’s movement over the turf remains incredible even at the age of 33, as sides including England have discovered at this World Cup. ‘‘He leads by example on and off the park,’’ Hesson said. ‘‘He’s willing to throw everything on the line, including his body at times. He expects excellence. The guys respect that and enjoy playing for him.’’

Second, he is a natural risktaker. Quite apart from how this influences his cricket, McCullum has had a long-standing love affair with racing and had shares in several horses before last year launching his own bloodstock

Brendon McCullum has quickly built a reputation for bold and aggressive leadership. company, Vermair Racing.

That move was launched on the back of his success in other business ventures including CricHQ, an IT company that promotes cricket through social media and employs 85 people worldwide, and Quality New Zealand, which exports meat, seafood and wine to India, where McCullum is one of the stars of the IPL.

Not everyone who is happy to gamble makes a good captain but captaincy, like entrepreneurship, does involve taking chances and McCullum – blessed with a talented group who, with an average age of 29, make up one of the most experienced squads at the World Cup – is happy to take them, largely because he is wise enough to do his homework first.

Third, and most significant, is McCullum’s relationship with Stephen Fleming, who before his retirement in 2008 was viewed as among the finest of all captains. Fleming has since proved the most successful coach in the highly volatile environment of the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, a franchise McCullum joined last year from Kolkata Knight Riders.

If McCullum has modelled himself on anyone, or sought guidance from anyone, it is Fleming. They are good friends and business associates, Fleming being a co-founder of CricHQ and a stakeholder in Quality NZ.

McCullum’s description of his leadership style could have applied equally to Fleming. ‘‘I believe in being proactive. Even if the decisions don’t always work you’ve got to keep making them. Once you start being reactive it is hard to get out of it. Against stronger teams, you must lay the foundations and then be aggressive. My message is, ‘Be yourself – and if in doubt, take a step forward’.’’

Asked to compare Fleming and McCullum, Daniel Vettori – who has played under both – said: ‘‘They’re very good friends and bring a lot of similar traits. Stephen was amazing the way he could organise and motivate a team. Brendon does it on the field and that’s why guys gravitate towards him, because of the example he sets, particularly the way he fields. He sets an example that you have to follow.’’

Given his other interests and commercial value in Twenty20, McCullum may not last in international cricket beyond next year. But he has important business first – a World Cup, a tour of England, where his side are good enough to embarrass their hosts, and an equally big series in Australia towards the end of the year. Don’t bet against him taking down a few reputations before he goes.