Cricket World Cup 2015: David Warner wants Brendon McCullum to have a ‘brain explosion’

AUSSIE star David Warner says if there’s a “brain explosion” at Eden Park it will be suffered by opposite number Brendon McCullum.

Australia training NZ

DAVID Warner is putting no limit on the abuse he expects to cop from the notoriously rowdy New Zealand crowd, but says if there’s a “brain explosion” at Eden Park it will be suffered by opposite number Brendon McCullum.

The Black Caps’ superstar has smashed more sixes than Australian openers Warner and Aaron Finch have between them over the past 12 months.

McCullum is undoubtedly the crowd-pleaser of the World Cup so far, but heading into Saturday’s trans-Tasman blockbuster which has the Chappell-Hadlee trophy on the line, the New Zealand captain is under pressure to turn around a sorry record against Australia.

From 42 ODI matches against his rivals across the ditch, McCullum is hundred-less for an average of just 28.

Brendon McCullum is looming as a major danger against Australia.

Fiery counterpart Warner says “obscure swear words” and throwing projectiles is what he’s come to expect from New Zealand crowds, but he believes they and their No.1 weapon will be silenced if Australia’s bowlers get it right.

“We’ve got to back our strengths,” said Warner.

“It’s not by fluke or chance (McCullum) has come out and scored the runs he has … (but) if we bowl well to him we’ll create the pressure and he’ll have a brain explosion.

“He seems like a great humble guy, but when we get on the field it’s going to be a different story.

“You get some obscure swear words and a couple of things thrown at you (playing in New Zealand), but that’s what you expect when you come here.

“It’s happened before. It’s probably going to happen again. But I embrace it.

“They can give it to me as much as they want. I’ll just get it on board and let my bat do the talking.”

Warner can’t wait for the boos to rain down on him from 50,000 rabid kiwis at the venue that’s proven a graveyard for the Wallabies since before he was born.

But even though the boundaries are even smaller than his happy-hunting ground ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Warner is determined not to be sucker-punched like he expects McCullum might be.

David Warner is focused on the task at hand. Picture: Darren England.

While teammates George Bailey and Michael Clarke used centre-wicket practice at Eden Park No.2 as a chance to open the shoulders, Warner made a conscious effort to try and work the ball and be cautious.

McCullum might have enhanced his reputation from minnow-muncher to world-class batsman over the past 24 months, but no opener has matured from hot-head to measured matchwinner quite like Warner.

“We’re in their backyard, we’ve got to play our best cricket,” said Warner, wary of New Zealand swing spearhead, Tim Southee.

“(The ground might be small) but you’ve still got to respect the opposition.

“They’re going to bowl good areas and the ball is going to swing around a little bit … they’ve been taking early wickets.

“If you get too greedy and you see small boundaries straight away, you can easily lose rhythm and momentum and you can soon see yourself in the sheds.

“In their conditions, (their attack is as good as any).

“But I think if we play our best brand of cricket we’re going to get over them.”

Southee decimated England with seven wickets, but it’s McCullum who sets the tone for New Zealand.

For an enigmatic batsman who had a reputation for only scoring hundreds against countries like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, McCullum has gone to another level in recent times, coinciding with his appointment as captain.

In 2014, McCullum joined Sir Donald Bradman, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting as players to have scored three double hundreds in a Test calendar year, and his merciless innings of 77 off 25 against England last week summed up his ferocious striking ability.

Brendon McCullum put the world on notice with a brutal innings against England.

Only Shahid Afridi and Chris Gayle have struck more career sixes than McCullum, but still there are question marks over him against the top nations Australia and South Africa.

Warner said Australia are very confident with their plans to McCullum, but can’t afford to leave anything to chance.

“If he nicks them we’ve got to catch them,” he said.

“He’s a player who can come down the wicket and use the off-side well.

“But if they bowl the right line and lengths we’ll get him out.”

McCULLUM BY THE NUMBERS

*ODI record – 243 matches, 5 hundreds, averages 30.63

*ODI record against Australia – 42 matches, 0 hundreds, averages 28

*Overall record against Australia in all formats – 58 matches, 2 hundreds (one Test, one T20), averages 29

*Last 15 knocks against Australia: DNB, 16, 1, 61, 23, 24, 45, 0, 2, 33, 36, 43, 0, 6, 5

*Most career sixes: Shahid Afridi (447), Chris Gayle (398), McCullum (356) … Adam Gilchrist (262), Shane Watson (224)

*Most sixes in past 12 months: McCullum (61), Chris Gayle (44), David Warner (27), Aaron Finch (26)