In his final press conference before tomorrow's final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, McCullum said he couldn't imagine a better scenario than facing Australia ''in front of 100,000, in Australia's backyard, with the history and tradition and against a very good Australian team.
''This is the ultimate game for us to be able to play. Everyone is excited about it, I'm sure some guys will be nervous tomorrow morning, but it certainly whets the appetities. It's the greatest stage we can ask for."
McCullum confirmed New Zealand will field the same XI which won the cliffhanger semifinal against South Africa at Eden Park last Tuesday night.
And he hopes a touch of divine intervention might yet add an extra touch to the biggest day New Zealand cricket has experience.
''We will play an aggressive brand of cricket with bat, ball and in the field, and with the humility we've played with through this campaign.
''And hopefully the Big Fellow upstairs shines on us when the pressure situations come into play," McCullum said.
- By David Leggat
