Many players hit a purple patch in their careers, but what separates the good from the great is the ability to make the most of it. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has managed to squeeze every bit out of the great year that 2014 has been for him.
The New Zealander had long been seen as a dasher in the shorter formats of the game and he really captured the imagination of the world with a marauding 158 off 73 balls in the first ever Indian Premier League match, batting for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008.
From that time on, McCullum has raised his game every passing year, especially in Tests. And in 2014, he has taken it to a new level. While there are seven batsmen who have clocked more than 1,000 in the calendar year, McCullum stands out.
The Kiwi started off the year with a bang, smashing the first triple century by a New Zealander that helped his team earn a draw against India in Wellington.
The Kiwis were staring down the barrel at 94-5 in the second innings, still trailing India by 152 runs when McCullum teamed up with BJ Watling and then James Neesham to power his side to 680 and earn a draw that won the series 1-0. That knock came after a sensation double century in the first Test that had set up a famous win.
It kick-started an amazing year for the New Zealanders as they gained a whole lot of self belief. Gone were the days when they were expected to put up a fight, and try to win. Now they enter the field knowing they can beat anyone.
The runs did not dry up in the UAE as the 33-year-old smashed a 188-ball 202 in the crucial third Test against Pakistan that helped his side square the series.
Neither England nor Australia had managed to do that when they toured the UAE in the past few years.
McCullum seems in no mood to slow down, as he proved against Sri Lanka yesterday by cracking a sensational 195 off just 134 balls in the first Test. The knock included 11 sixes and 18 boundaries and showed once again what he is capable of.
What makes the mountain of runs even more special is that it has coincided with New Zealand gaining new respect as a team.
They are beginning to challenge sides on a consistent basis and are easily the most improved side in the past few seasons. And McCullum’s leadership has been instrumental in New Zealand’s rise.
Given the situation in which he scored those big knocks and how his batting and leadership has energised his players, it is safe to pick McCullum as the best batsman in the world right now.
Limited overs cricket can be mastered by most half-decent batsmen nowadays, so loaded is the game in their favour. But McCullum has entertained fans with his batting in Tests; he has a strike rate of 72.56 for his 1164 runs, which takes some doing. Australian opener David Warner too has scored more than a 1000 runs at a strike rate of 81.48 this year but McCullum has done that while leading his side.
As the Kiwis gear up for the World Cup with a sense of purpose, they can thank their leader and batting bulwark McCullum for instilling them with resolve. And fans can expect McCullum to come out all guns blazing when the showpiece event kicks off Down Under next year.
