Knights relish the concept of freedom

It’s not just another word for nothin’ left to lose.

It’s not solely a George Michael song, nor something requiring a long walk to.

But speak to the Northern Knights and you’ll soon hear the word ‘freedom’ bandied about.

It’s seen as a key factor in pushing the Knights to within one game of consecutive domestic Twenty20 titles – tomorrow, they will host at Seddon Park the winner of yesterday’s minor final between the Auckland Aces and Central Stags.

‘‘I suppose T20 cricket is a game of freedom – we’ve grasped that idea now,’’ Knights leg-spinner Ish Sodhi said.

‘‘Playing free, being out there and expressing our skills, not overcomplicating T20 too much because that’s where I think when you can get in trouble if you think too hard on it.

‘‘When you say freedom, it can sound like an excuse to be reckless, which I think is completely the opposite. If you’re free of thinking constantly about the situation you’re in, I think it allows you to be really clear in your decision-making.’’

Knights T20 coach Gareth Hopkins oversaw the Super Smash title win in his first season in charge, and batsmanwicketkeeper Tim Seifert said Hopkins’ man-management helped.

‘‘If you’ve failed and haven’t scored a few runs in a wee while but you’re playing the way the team wants you, then that’s OK – your position in the team isn’t going to be questioned. He’s encouraging the guys that you’ve only got to win one or two games by yourself for the team to go further.’’

Back-to-back titles would be a remarkable achievement for an association that only a week ago had eight players in the Black Caps T20 side.

Those national duties have often meant the Knights XI has had to draw on an unprecedented show of depth to stay one step ahead of the opposition. Tomorrow’s side will feature Sodhi, Seifert, Scott Kuggeleijn and Daryl Mitchell – from the NZ T20 side – while Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner and Colin de Grandhomme are unavailable due to Black Caps’ one-day commitments.

‘‘It’s a huge credit to the guys that come in, guys like Peter Bocock, Brett Randall, Zac Gibson – they’ve done a fantastic job for us this season and they’re a huge reason why we’ve been able to finish with a home final,’’ Sodhi said.

‘‘It’s been inconsistent in terms of players but I think the core roles have been well manufactured,’’ said the leggie, who also praised the leadership of veterans Dean Brownlie and Daniel Flynn.