McCullum's decision not to keep wickets in Test cricket anymore underlines the fearless approach that he is seeking to instill in his teammates
Dubai: New Zealand's dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum has urged his team to be fearless at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
"If we get too scared to see if we're good enough or not, we won't finish anywhere. When that time comes to make this a great team, even though it may not seem like that at the moment, whether we take it or not, that comes down to whether we're hard enough," he said after winning honours at the annual awards night of New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
His decision not to keep wickets in Test cricket anymore — knowing fully well the risks that come with it — underlines the fearless approach that he is seeking to instill in his teammates.
In a report quoted on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, McCullum said: "This has no side-door options for me. It's a gutsy call; it could be the worst call I've made in my career.
"You go from being one of the major certainties in the team to now being in the mix and being relatively unproven. It's a huge challenge and hopefully it'll be the right decision," said McCullum of his fears.
Strong performances
McCullum had one of the most fruitful seasons with bat in 2009-10, but it was the fact that he was not vice-captain any more that stirred him.
"I was lucky enough to put it all behind me and have the best season throughout my career. I'm confident I'm heading in the right direction and don't need a title to contribute to my team," he summed up.
McCullum returns to national duties in October during the Bangladesh tour following a paternity break during which he celebrated the birth of his nine-week old daughter.
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