Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum

Personal information
Full name	Brendon Barrie McCullum
Batting	Right-handed
Role	Wicket-keeper
International information
National side	New Zealand
Test debut	10 March 2004 v South Africa
Last Test	21 March 2008 v England
ODI debut	17 January 2002 v Australia
Last ODI	23 February 2008 v England
ODI shirt no.	42
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2007 – 2008	Otago
2003 – 2006	Canterbury
2006	Glamorgan
1999 – 2003	Otago
2008	Kolkata Knight Riders
Career statistics
Competition Tests ODI FC LA Matches 31 128 67 166 Runs scored 1434 2280 3497 3084 Batting average 31.17 27.46 32.99 27.53 100s/50s 2/8 0/12 6/19 2/15 Top score 143 96 160 170 Balls bowled 0 0 0 0 Wickets – – – – Bowling average – – – – 5 wickets in innings – – – – 10 wickets in match – – – – Best bowling – – – – Catches/stumpings 92/6 143/13 182/13 179/14
Source: Cricinfo, 17 March 2008

Brendon Barrie McCullum (born 27 September 1981, Dunedin) is the New Zealand wicket-keeper. He is an aggressive batsman who also opens in ODIs. His ability to score fast and the fact that he is also a wicket-keeper has caused many people to draw comparisons with Adam Gilchrist. He plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He was previously captain of the New Zealand under-19 side. Brendon's brother Nathan McCullum is also a first-class cricketer at provincial level, and their father Stu McCullum was a long-serving first-class player for Otago.

He has two world record to his name. one is Most sixes(13) in Twenty 20, One day and Test cricket and another is Higest Indivisual score(158*) in Twenty 20 cricket

Youth Cricket

He played 3 under-19 Test matches for New Zealand in 2000/01 and scored 455 runs at 151.66 with 3 hundreds. The runs were made in quick time too, coming at a strike rate of 95.58 runs per 100 balls.

In July 2002 while playing club cricket in Australia for Northern Territory side Palmerston Cricket Club, he scored a record 250 not out in less than 100 balls. It is believed to be the highest ever score made in the territory.[1]

Career Highlights

In 2004 he played in a Test series against England and scored what was then his highest score, an innings of 96 at Lord's. His maiden Test century came several months later when he scored 143 against Bangladesh. He fell just short of his second Test hundred in a game against Sri Lanka but instead scored his second 65 when dismissed one short of his hundred. His second century would later come with a run a ball 111 against Zimbabwe.

He was selected in the 20-man ICC World XI squad for the ICC Super Series in July 2005.

In March 2006, he was charged with bringing the game into disrepute during an ODI against West Indies, but was found not guilty.

McCullum played for Glamorgan in 2006 and he scored 160 opening the batting against Leicestershire in the County Championship.

On 20 February 2007, he scored 86 not out as New Zealand went on to be the first team to whitewash Australia in a 3 match ODI series since 1997. He struck a massive six off the first ball of the last over against Nathan Bracken to level the scores, before he finished it off with a boundary. In his matchwinning innings he partnered Craig McMillan to a world record equalling 6th wicket partnership of 165. [2]

On 21 March 2007, he set a new World Cup record, by smashing 50 runs from just 20 balls against Canada in St Lucia. He finished his innings with 52 runs from 21 balls, including 10 fours and 5 sixes, with an incredible strike rate of 247.61. The previous record had been set by Mark Boucher (South Africa) against The Netherlands on March 16th (50 runs from 21 balls).

On 14 December 2007 he scored his highest ever ODI score of 96(103) against Australia. He was caught by Nathan Bracken off the bowling of Brad Hogg after 35.3 overs.

On 31 December 2007 he scored 50 from just 19 balls against Bangladesh. He finished his innings with 80 runs from only 28 balls, including 9 fours and 6 sixes with a strike rate of 285.71 resulting in a 10 wicket win: chasing 93 from 50 overs and achieving it making 95 from only 6 overs.

On 12 February 2008 he scored 50 from 27 balls against England. He finished his innings with 80 runs from only 47 balls, including 8 fours and 5 sixes with a strike rate of 170.21 resulting in a 10 wicket win and giving New Zealand a 2 nil lead in the 5 match series.

On 2 March 2008, before facing England for the test series, he was involved in the State Shield Final versus Auckland Aces, in scoring 170 runs to help beat the Aces at Eden Park's outer oval, and helped to chased down a daunting total of 310 for 7, he broke multiple State Shield batting records

• State Shield (ODI) record of the fastest 100 (off 52 balls), including 14 fours and 5 sixes

• When he got to 135, he scored the highest individual runs for an Otago Volts player.

• When he got to 162, he scored the highest score by any player in a domestic one-day match (Shell or State competitions)

• He went on to score 170 runs, including 19 fours and 7 sixes.

On 18 April 2008, he claimed the record for highest individual score in a Twenty20 innings, scoring 158*, which included 13 sixes and 10 fours in boundaries, for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the first game of the Indian Premier League helping them get a much deserved 140 run victory. This eclipsed the previous record mark of 141, held by Australian Cameron White. In the same match he also claimed the record for most sixes (13) in a Twenty20 innings.

Role

McCullum plays in the side as an opening wicketkeeper batsman during ODIs and middle order in Test Matches . His glovework improved during his tenure as the incumbent New Zealand Test wicketkeeper. McCullum is usually very tidy behind the stumps with some outstanding catches to his name. His batting was arguably good enough to earn him selection for the Black Caps alone. He opens the batting for New Zealand for ODIs with improving success. He is an aggressive batsman who is particularly strong over extra cover, often lofting the ball into the stands. He was described as a player "especially suited to Twenty20 cricket" when he signed for a five-week stint at Glamorgan in June 2006. The stint included the entire domestic 2006 Twenty20 Cup. He was signed up by the Kolkata Franchise of the IPL for $ 700,000. His contract with the IPL is for 3 years.