McCullum urges Kiwi teammates not to be afraid of once-in-a-lifetime home WC

New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum has urged his teammates to be not afraid of a chance to play the World Cup in their home country, as he claimed that it doesn't come around that often.

Calling on the players to get among the public and soak up the atmosphere of what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, McCullum said that the chance to play a World Cup in their home country doesn't come around that often, and insisted that they should not be afraid of that.

McCullum, who would be appearing in his third World Cup after the West Indies (2007) and India/Bangladesh/Sri Lanka (2011), felt that this was the best-prepared group of the three tournaments he had been associated with, Stuff.co.nz reported.

McCullum believes that the team's success and style had earned them public support after periods of indifference to New Zealand cricket team, whose form was often a roller coaster ride. He said that they have worked hard to win back that public confidence.

The skipper also said that plenty of thought had gone into what would happen with the players during the two-month event. He said that there might be the opportunity when they have a week-long break between a couple of games for guys to go home and just freshen up and reconnect with family and friends, insisting that that's an advantage they have.

McCullum claimed that they believe that they are ready to cope with whatever happens, adding that New Zealand believes that they have the confidence that if they are down at 20 for three this group can work their way out of it.