Hopkins questions need to specialise

The mastermind of the Northern Knights’ all-conquering Super Smash campaign believes the Black Caps shouldn’t rush into looking at specialists for their

Twenty20 cricket team following their Sydney horror show.

Northern Districts made the unique move to appoint a coach solely for their T20 season when hiring former Black Cap Gareth Hopkins, while James Pamment remained as coach for the four-day and one-day formats before his departure for the Mumbai Indians in January.

That decision worked wonders as Hopkins, who had no significant previous coaching experience, guided the Knights to the Super Smash title.

So would an alternative approach, such as a specialist T20 coach and captain, work for the Black Caps? That debate has raged since New Zealand’s wretched seven-wicket T20 loss to Australia at the SCG last Saturday when the Black Caps limped to 117-9, a total the hosts chased down with ease.

Former Black Cap turned commentator Simon Doull on Wednesday berated New Zealand’s selections and suggested that captain Kane Williamson and coach Mike Hesson perhaps consider stepping away from the T20 side altogether.

Hopkins rebuffed that, saying the Black Caps had an exceptional calibre of players capable of excelling in all three formats.

‘‘They can absolutely adapt between formats of the game and improve on that,’’ he said. ‘‘Having specialists for T20 doesn’t say much because you have to look at the quality of the individual.’’

Seven of New Zealand’s 11 who played in the Sydney defeat featured in their last test series against the West Indies, while Australia (one) and England (two) had far fewer players from this summer’s Ashes in Wednesday’s

T20 in Hobart when the hosts won by five wickets.

But Hopkins said: ‘‘You’ve got to remember that England and Australia has a much larger cricketing population, so you’ve got to pick the right players [for New Zealand].’’

Wicketkeeper/batsman Tim Seifert (Northern Knights) and batsman Mark Chapman (Auckland Aces) have been elevated into the Black Caps for potential debuts

"Having specialists for T20 doesn't say much because you have to look at the quality of the individual."

Gareth Hopkins, above

against England at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium next Tuesday after their Super Smash form.

Hopkins praised the prompt response made by New Zealand’s selectors in ‘‘taking a little bit of a punt’’ in rightfully rewarding the likes of Seifert and Chapman, who were third (323) and fourth (307) respectively in this season’s Super Smash run charts and both scored a century.

Hopkins has come from nowhere in coaching terms as the Knights were the dominant force in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition.

But the former Black Caps wicketkeeper, who works full-time for Craigs Investment Partners in Tauranga, was quick to hail his players before quashing talk of any future coaching roles beyond his two-year deal with the Knights which ends next summer.

‘‘Northern Districts took a punt on having a separate coach, but ultimately it came down to guys having the confidence to play.’’