Cricket: Brendon McCullum Predicts Tim Seifert to Be Next Black Caps Star

Former Black Caps captain and assistant coach turned Brendon McCullum anticipates a great summer for hitter Tim Seifert.

McCullum has returned from his coaching seasons in the Caribbean and Indian Premier Leagues and is back with the Black Caps as a mentor. The last time he was involved with the Black Caps in any format was in a test against Australia in 2016.

The first sign to see if the 39-year-old’s wisdom has paid off will come Friday when the Black Caps take on the West Indies in the first of three Twenty20 internationals at Eden Park.

But it will not be at the limit to cheer the players; McCullum, instead, will call the game as part of the Spark Sport commentary team.

However, he says it’s great to mingle with familiar faces again.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to see his games up close, obviously he had Seif [Tim Seifert] and Lockie [Ferguson] in the IPL.

“A little time in and around Kane [Williamson] and Trent [Boult] it’s been really good, they have good trends. “

Of all the players McCullum will enjoy catching up with, few will have the first-hand experience that Seifert has without actually playing alongside him. Seifert made his Black Caps debut in 2018, two years after McCullum’s last international game.

The pair have worked closely together and McCullum looks forward to a great summer ahead for Seifert.

“He’s in for an outstanding season for the Black Caps,” McCullum said.

“I think he’s a special talent to be honest. Just seeing how quickly someone can improve and develop some skills, and his attitude and how much he wants him in this game is something to behold.

“His best days are certainly ahead of him.”

Three of Seifert’s last five appearances in T20I have sparked strokes of 30 or more, including two half centuries. His best sum was 84 against India in February 2019.

McCullum has also noticed their eerily similar style of play.

“His game is very similar to mine … I think he’s ahead of where I was as a hitter at the same time, from a ground maintenance standpoint, he’s really improved in a short space of time,” McCullum said.

“A funny story: He called me right after missing the World Cup team and said that he had been a fan of mine my whole career and wanted to try and improve his game, and asked if I would. Help him.

“I’ve had the pleasure for the last six or nine months to be able to help him with his gate maintenance and also with his hitting.”

Seifert also highlights the enormous benefit of working alongside McCullum, describing their sessions as “outstanding.”

“Asking him things that will help my game, and besides, it’s so much easier to work with someone when he’s there rather than just on the phone,” he says.

“We have been doing a bit of shadowing, he has been behind me.”

McCullum coached Seifert in both Premier Leagues with the Trinbago Knight Riders, who won their fourth CPL title, and the Kolkata Knight Riders this year. He says that on those teams he used Seifert as a “fluent” hitter from top to bottom in order, but he thinks he’s better positioned at the top.

“He has some abilities and attributes that can be incredibly destructive,” he adds.

Seifert is set to line up for New Zealand against the West Indies on Friday. That match will be the first of five in total between New Zealand and the West Indies this summer, with two tests completing the tour.