Cricket: Coach compromises to keep talent

Auckland keeper-batsmen Gareth Hopkins and Reece Young will get a crack at playing for both Auckland and NZ. Photo / Kenny Rodger

It's the sort of choice most coaches would relish; two quality wicketkeeper-batsmen, three forms of cricket, only one team.

Auckland coach Paul Strang faces that dilemma in working out what to do with Gareth Hopkins and Reece Young, both highly proficient glovemen and batsmen, in the coming domestic campaign.

He thinks he's solved it, and it's best to describe the plan as fluid. Hopkins has one big factor in his favour, having been named Strang's captain, replacing long-time skipper Richard Jones for the season which starts on November 10.

But it's no guarantee that Hopkins will have the inside running. There are other, national, factors in play.

At the moment New Zealand have four wicketkeepers in favour with the national selectors in different forms of the game. Brendon McCullum is first choice for tests and ODIs, but Northern Districts' Peter McGlashan is liked for the Twenty20 job for his inventive batting qualities.

Hopkins was ODI backup at the Champions Trophy this month, while Young got the trip to Sri Lanka for the test series as No 2, in August, but only filled in briefly, in the second test.

Farming one of them out to another province to ensure plenty of matchplay was suggested, but neither Auckland, nor the players, were keen.

So how to give both Hopkins and Young a fair crack? Strang is confident, with input from the national selectors, it can work.

"We've talked to New Zealand Cricket about a win-win for them and arrived at a very good compromise."

Both men will get their chances, but it's not locked down.

Clearly it will apply only when both are available for Auckland and will tie in with what the NZ team are up to.

Strang gave an example. If NZ were playing ODIs and the panel wanted Hopkins to back up McCullum in that form, then he would keep - even if Auckland were playing four-day cricket at the time.

"We will have to shadow the international schedule a little bit, but it's totally fluid. I've made a commitment to both they will keep this year, so there are integrity issues I'd like to maintain," former Zimbabwe international allrounder Strang said.

Form permitting, one thing seems certain: both will play in the XI when available. Last season, Hopkins averaged 64.42 from seven first-class matches; Young 50.63 from eight.