Out of the Park

Craig McMillan has been one of New Zealand's most controversial sports figures over the past decade. A straightshooter both on and off the cricket field, McMillan's book is surely one of the most anticipated sports biographies of recent times. While his career has had its share of glittering highlights, it has also been punctuated with no small amount of controversy. He found himself on the outer after the 2003 World Cup but worked his way back into New Zealand's ODI side just in time to earn selection for the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean. It was quite a shift after he was dumped at the end of 2005 and began looking for other employment opportunities - including as a salesman. But he regained his limited-overs place for the home series against Sri Lanka in December 2006 and strong performances at the CB Series in Australia, followed by a New Zealand record 67-ball ODI century in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, ensured his ticket to the World Cup. McMillan impressed with bat and ball in his comeback, which was timely as New Zealand searched for all-round options with injuries to the likes of Scott Styris and Jacob Oram.
McMillan, a player who had been gifted international selection from the age of 21, began his career productively and in March 2001 he took a world record 26 runs off one Younis Khan over in a Test against Pakistan at Hamilton. His destructive batting perhaps prom