I'll quit if we don't make semis - McCullum

Brendon McCullum has reiterated his stand of resigning as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders if the team doesn't reach the semi-finals of the current IPL tournament. He also said the toughest thing he was facing as a captain was his own poor form.

"I think every captain should be accountable for the results," McCullum said, echoing his statements after Kolkata's heavy defeat to Mumbai Indians on Monday. "You just can't drift along the journey; there is no accountability behind it. My job as a captain is to inspire the team and be competitive. If I can't inspire this bunch of talented people and reach the semi-finals then, yes, I will resign."

McCullum has presided over a woeful run for Kolkata - one win and one no result yielding three points in five games - and he believes it's down to a poor performance in the first six overs with bat and ball. "We are failing to do any damage in the top six overs either way. We haven't taken wickets at the start and we haven't scored much runs at the top. We are always been behind the game. Hopefully I will start scoring and get that right."

McCullum said that his lack of runs as a batsman has been tough for him to handle as a captain. "It's tough when you are delivering messages to the team. You don't have individual performances to stack up behind those talks. But you have to put aside individual disappointments and concentrate on what the team needs to do. If I can get the runs, though, and help these individuals it would be nice."

Has the captaincy affected his batting? "Well ... I haven't gone past two overs! So I can't say that. When I go into bat, I am not thinking about captaincy. For me batting is enjoyment and fun. I don't play with that kind of responsibility when I go out."

There is a clear difference, he says, between being a player and being a captain. "It hurts more when you lose as a captain. Twenty times more! It's just incredibly disappointing; it's tough."

For all the difficulties associated with the captaincy, McCullum appreciates the mental challenge. "The best part of it is, you get an opportunity to use your ideas and strategies on the game. When you walk off the park you know you have had the opportunity or making a mark on the game, win or lose."

McCullum inherits the captaincy from Sourav Ganguly, the team's icon player, and amid some controversy over the "multiple captaincy" theory. It could have been easier had he taken over from someone with less of an emotional hold on the team and the city - a Dravid, perhaps, or a Kallis. McCullum, however, denies any additional pressue on that account. "Sourav has been fantastic. I haven't take notice of the controversy.. I am a very competitive guy, and I'm passionate about playing for this side. It's an honour to lead a side with talents like this. I am not bothered about the captaincy controversy."