McCullum sees bright future

Skipper Brendon McCullum contemplates impending defeat by Australia in the final of the Champions Trophy at Centurion

Brendon McCullum believes New Zealand cricket is in a much healthier state following their Champions Trophy feats.

The Black Caps concluded their campaign with a six-wicket loss to Australia at Centurion yesterday but did not give in without a fight despite the absence of a number of regulars.

The biggest name among those absentees was captain Daniel Vettori, who was forced out of the final at the last minute because of a hamstring injury sustained warming up.

New Zealand were already without three players in Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Daryl Tuffey, all of whom succumbed to injury earlier in the tournament.

Given those circumstances, stand-in captain McCullum believes there is plenty of room for optimism.

“I think it’s certainly a step forward for us,” he said. “We’ve had some pretty tough times over the last couple of years, not just losing players to injuries but also through retirements and the ICL (Indian Cricket League) when it was running.

“Things have been a little tough from that point of view, but I think it’s given our guys opportunities.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in terms of arriving in the final and giving ourselves an opportunity to walk away with a trophy. It wasn’t to be this time, but we’re proud of the way we’ve played in this tournament.”

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McCullum claims the pool of quality players in New Zealand has grown, which augurs well for the years ahead.

He continued: “If you look at the New Zealand team as a squad of 20 or 25 players, you’ve got guys capable of performing on the international stage and also a number of match-winners.

“While we are disappointed with what happened in the final, we’re certainly proud of what we have achieved, through some tough times.

“I think if we can continue to capture that in tournaments and series in the future, this team will certainly move forward.”

McCullum also believes the 2009 Champions Trophy served the 50-over format well as it competes for popularity with Twenty20 cricket.

“I thought this tournament was good - the top eight teams in the world coming together and playing over a short period of time. I thought it worked well,” he said.

“While I guess there weren’t too many nail-biting games, I still think the quality of cricket was fantastic.

“I think that if 50-over cricket is to remain in the calendar, then it’s a great way to push it forward with tournaments like the Champions Trophy.”