 New Zealand middle order batsman and wicket-keeper, Brendon McCullum has
said that he allowed the captaincy of the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009 affect
his batting adversely and that is the reason why the side never got the starts
they needed.
McCullum is yet to go back to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders for
this season of the tournament because he is in New Zealand playing in the home
series against Australia. The Kiwis had lost the ODIs 2-3, but will look to
make up for the losses in the two Test matches.
McCullum also said that he was awaiting the authorities to clear him to play
in the tournament, thanks to the security issue that was prevalent earlier.
He said that the things were looking well, and so it was just a case of monitoring
the situation. He also added, "Every player wants to be involved in the
IPL because it's such a great tournament and the fact that it's played at that
time of year in conditions which are pretty extreme is just another challenge."
Talking of the previous edition of the IPL, McCullum said that it was one of
the most challenging times he has had in his career, but he also added it was
a good learning curve. He added that he tried to curb his natural style of batting
but trying to be too cautious and that is where it got to the point that he
was not getting enough runs.
McCullum also said that the Knight Riders' problem in the previous edition
of the tournament was with their batting and that is the reason why they lost
out on the so many games. This time around, he added, the side has tried to
add solidity to the batting, and according to him the results have shown in
the results.
He added that the flatter pitches in India will assist the likes of him and
Chris Gayle with the big hitting and hence they could be difficult to
dislodge. And like a good diplomat, he also spoke good about the Indian crowds
and their passion for the game and how that hype helped the game of cricket
as whole. He said that he was looking forward to going back to India
to play in the tournament in front of the huge Eden Gardens crowd.
He also welcomed the addition of his countryman, Shane Bond in the team.
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