Fierce rivals remain brothers in arms

Amid all the preliminary talk of bitter neighbourhood rivalries, duelling tournament co-hosts and battles for pre-match favouritism, the eve of the long-awaited showdown between Australia and New Zealand was notable for its deafening outbreak of civility.

In the calm before what is expected to be a tempestuous full house of more 40,000 fans at Auckland’s Eden Park tomorrow, opposing captains Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke ditched the lurid trash talk in favour of pastel shades of mutual respect and heartfelt admiration.

It provided a reassuring if unexpected backdrop to a match between teams whose international paths have barely crossed in recent years but whose respective highs and lows have not gone unnoticed on either side of the Tasman Sea.

In fairness, the mood of generosity rather than hostility was initially cultivated by Black Caps veteran Daniel Vettori yesterday when he politely dismissed a cue for him to call on local fans to boo the Australians and instead suggested it would make for a better environment if they used that energy to cheer loudly for the home team instead.

Quick Single: Australia make two changes for NZ

That theme was then picked up and expanded by New Zealand captain McCullum at his pre-game media conference when he was dangled the bait to respond to Australia opener David Warner’s assertion that if sufficient pressure was applied to McCullum’s batting might just succumb to a “brain explosion”.

“I probably am guilty of a brain explosion,” McCullum responded, adroitly defusing that potential booby trap.

“If you play long enough you're going to make some mental errors at times.

“I've read most of the (media) reports as well and I think the Australians have been very complimentary of our group.

“There's been a bit of sensationalism in some of the reporting of it, but i think they've been very respectful of how they've discussed our team.”

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He then went on to heap praise on Clarke, who will return to international cricket tomorrow for the first time in more than two months after tearing his hamstring during the summer’s opening Commonwealth Bank Test that was played in the shadow of Phillip Hughes’s tragic death.

McCullum, who once opened the batting alongside Hughes for New South Wales in the final of Australia’s then KFC Big Bash, was involved in a Test match against Pakistan in the UAE when the Australia batsman was struck and died.

In the wake of that tragedy, a day of that Test was abandoned as an act of respect and on subsequently scoring a double century McCullum read an emotional statement in which he described his team as “heartbroken” and that their thoughts at the time were with Hughes’ family and not on cricket.

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Asked today if the inclusion of Clarke in place of Australia’s stand-in skipper George Bailey was a bonus for the Black Caps given Clarke’s lack of recent match practice, McCullum replied: “No, because Michael Clarke is the leader of the Australian team.”

“During the tragic circumstances around Phil Hughes' passing, we saw how strong a leader he is.

“The way he carried himself and spoke on behalf the team, that earned him adulation and respect from not just Australian people but also people around the world.

“We were certainly in awe of how he was able to control that and handle himself during that time.

“He's very much the leader of that team. we're very respectful of that and I think they are strengthened by his inclusion.”

McCullum even described the ODI and Test match blueprint that has brought the Black Caps such success since he was elevated to the national captaincy in place of Ross Taylor in 2013 is unashamedly cast on the aggressive, uncompromising model that has worked so well for Australia.

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It was that similarity rather than any simmering differences that made tomorrow’s match-up so exciting, to the extent it has captured the imagination of the local sporting public normally transfixed by rugby at this early stage of the winter game’s season.

Clarke, in turn, was a model of diplomacy when it was turn to respond to suggestions his team was in for a baptism of fire at the notoriously parochial rugby stronghold.

And rather than adopt the trusty ‘us versus them’ siege mentality beloved of so many touring teams, Clarke used his media conference to audition for post-cricket life as an NZ Tourism ambassador such was his enthusiasm for the nation that now looms as the greatest threat to his World Cup dream.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for a lot of the players that haven’t played at Eden Park, and even in New Zealand,” Clarke said of the feeling within the Australia camp after a fortnight of training between their tournament matches.

“This is a fantastic country, I love coming here and playing cricket.

“I’ve been here plenty of times holidaying as well, it’s a great part of the world.

“I think both teams will compete hard on the field, we always have against each other.

“But I think there’s that mutual respect, that we get on really well off the field.

“I’ve got a great relationship with Brendon and have played a lot of cricket against him over both our careers.

“I have the utmost respect for the people of New Zealand, and especially Brendon and his team, in the way they showed that extra respect to Phillip and Phillip’s family when he passed.”

Both captains did point out that the feeling of bonhomie that floated through the media conference area today would not prevent both teams from fighting tooth and nail to win and place a firm grip in top spot of the Pool A table when play gets underway tomorrow.

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The Australians signalled their intention to hit the Black Caps with extra pace by bringing in young speedster Pat Cummins at the expense of the slightly more measured Josh Hazlewood, while the home team has stuck with the same XI that has delivered victories in their first three matches.

And any concerns over the fitness of New Zealand’s strike bowler and tournament leading wicket taker Tim Southee, who collapsed to the ground in pain yesterday after being struck on the right shoulder by a ball during fielding practice, were dismissed when he bowled with discomfort in the nets today.

“It was just a ball to the shoulder,” McCullum explained today of Southee’s injury.

“I asked him this morning if he got one in the leg as well because he managed to go down, which I couldn't quite work out.

“But he's good - he bowled well today, managed to get through his work. I expect him to play.”

And while the additional pace of Cummins provides an early indication of Australia’s preferred attack plan for McCullum and his free-hitting teammates, Clarke conceded that the nature of the Eden Park pitch – even allowing for the ground’s short straight boundaries – meant spin would play a part.

Which means at age 36 and the only specialist spinner in the match, after the Australians opted to rely on all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to lead their slow-bowling options, Vettori could play a vital role.

“I know the boundaries are small but that brings in risk as well if you are trying to take the spinner to a short boundary,” Clarke said today.

“Sometimes pre-meditating or trying to do that early in your innings can create doubt, can get you a wicket.

“I’ve always been a big fan of spin bowling in any format of the game, I think it’s a big part of any team.

“I don’t think the wicket will spin too much but sometimes it’s not about spin, it’s about pace variation just changing the pace of the game and spin does that very well.

“Whether the wicket is turning or not.”