Aussies searching for tactics against McCullum in ODI series

NAPIER - The Australian team has begun a desperate search for tactics to nullify New Zealand dangerman Brendon McCullum during the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI series, starting in Napier on Wednesday.

McCullum’s phenomenal 116 off 56 balls in the Twenty20 International at Christchurch on Sunday was highlighted by his variety of inventive shots, including lifting full-pitched deliveries over wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s head for six.

“Brendon is so dangerous because he can hit the ball anywhere on the field. Hitting it for six behind the keeper - we’re going to have to come up with something against that,” The Age quoted Cameron White, Australian all-rounder, as saying.

“We knew New Zealand were going to come hard at us, and they did. The contest was always going to be on over here, and it is,” he added.

Talking about the shot, Australian Twenty20 skipper Michael Clarke, who felt the pinch of McCullum’s shots during the two games, said: “That’s McCullum’s shot. We’ll see it again in the one-dayers and we need to have a plan.”

“The key is to make him play a shot he probably doesn’t want to play. Brendon likes hitting the ball over cover early, so we started by dropping point out and bringing fine leg up,” he added.

Meanwhile, McCullum said that he resorted to the now-famous shot to counter attack yorkers by Australian fast bowlers. It’s just an instinct thing, totally pre-meditated. The way the game is going now, you’ve got to be able to access that area behind the keeper. As good as bowlers are now at hitting their yorkers, you’ve got to have some sort of method to counter them. This is just my method,” McCullum said. (ANI)