He emerged as a strong wicket keeping contender during the Australian tour, after consistently performing with the gloves and bat in the Twenty20 and ODIs on home soil. His dedication caught the attention of the BLACKCAPS selectors and it is no surprise to see him named in the BLACKCAPS ICC World Twenty20 squad.
Gareth Hopkins is arguably one of the best wicketkeepers in the country. He talks with www.blackcaps.co.nz about life on the domestic scene, filling in for Brendon McCullum on the international stage, his gritty determination and why having outside interests have benefited his sporting goals.
Taking the international gloves?
He has been on the minds of cricket pundits around the globe as BLACKCAPS wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum has hinted at a change of focus towards batting. Hopkins showed he has the dedication and talent to take over the role, as he did during the Australian series, however he said he will give it 100 percent no matter whether he is behind the stumps or not.
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“Being handed the gloves is no different to fielding or batting. I’m going to do it to the best of my ability,” he said. “No matter what role they (the selectors) ask me to do, if it’s batting, fielding or keeping, I’d do the best I can. I’d be more than happy just to be part of it, play and be successful.”
Hopkins is optimistic regarding his chances in the West Indies and was happy with his performances during the Australian series. His contributions caught the eye of the selectors, BLACKCAPS supporters and media. “To get to play for the BLACKCAPS - I love it. I was happy to get four games (ODIs) in a row and was happy with the consistency of scoring,” he said. “The continuation from the Twenty20s to the ODIs, I felt confident against the bowlers and confident in my own plans. I guess I’m in a good head space.”
Gritty determination
The Auckland Aces captain is known for his strong attitude towards the game. He plays to win and isn’t afraid to get stuck in and do the hard yards. A prime example of this is his 201 against the Stags in the ninth round of the Plunket Shield when Hopkins occupied the crease for over seven hours.
He’s played for four Major Associations but puts his approach down to where he learnt the art of cricket, in Northern Districts.
He comes from the same mould as other well known current and former ND players including Daniel Vettori, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey and Joseph Yovich. They all went through age group cricket together and learnt a lot under coach Brendon Bracewell. “Between 16 and 20 you develop your characters and most of my mates in ND were very competitive and wouldn’t back down,” Hopkins reminisced. “We developed that culture and recognise it. I try to take it with me wherever I go.”
He took it to Canterbury, then Otago and finally to Auckland, where he now leads the pack. He reflects back at his time in Northern Districts with fond memories. “I grew up in Northern Districts and they spent a lot of time and money on me and I’m grateful because of that. The likes of Bracewell, Pat Malcolm and Allan Whimp are still there and I see a lot of them.”
Now at Auckland, he plays against his old team mates on a regular basis and although they are rivals on the field, off it he enjoys catching up and talking about old times. “It’s good. I enjoy catching up with them and playing against them. They’ll have plans against me! But it keeps advancing the game,” he said. “It’s a positive thing.”
Becoming captain hasn’t changed Hopkins’ game all that much. He still has that steely determination and fierce competitiveness which showed through this season as the Aces gained two final berths. He believes he doesn’t feel the pressure that captains sometimes undergo. “The only thing is that I have to walk the talk, with planning with the team and talking about how to get out there and do it,” he said. “There are no soft options. I don’t think I’ve been playing better or worse. I’m happy with that consistency.”
A level head
Hopkins considers himself grounded and does his best not to get caught up in all the fuss surrounding international cricket. He has outside influences that help him remain level headed and take his mind off the game.
He has recently become a father and between cricketing times he is completing a degree in finance and economics extramurally through Massey. “I’m lucky to be able to partake in studies. They’ve been fantastic,” he said. “While I was overseas I was playing a Test and had to sit an exam the day after and couldn’t get there. They allowed me to sit it under exam conditions a few days later. They’ve been very supportive and it’s been fantastic to be able to study.”
Hopkins believes every cricketer should have an outside interest. For him, being a father and studying helps take the cricketing pressure off his shoulders and out of his mind, even for just a couple of hours at a time. “I’ve found that balance with cricket and an outside interest and find it’s good for the game. If I have a good day or a bad day I can switch off from cricket and have something else to focus on.”
Reflection and the future
Reflecting back on both his international and domestic season Hopkins is proud of his achievements. He played well against the Australians in the two Twenty20 and four ODIs.
With the bat he averaged 28.50 in the shortest format, while in the 50-over game he scored 126 runs, averaging 31.50. He assisted in two run outs, including that of prized scalp of Shane Watson for 15 in the third ODI and he took two catches in the fifth ODI.
The final ODI will be forever engrained in Hopkins’ memory. “I think beating the Auzzies was a pretty big highlight,” he said. “Domestically, watching young batsmen work hard and get results is satisfying. The huge effort players put in to succeed, like Michael Bates (Aces’ pace bowler) this season for example, just seeing all those things come to fruition for them is a real highlight.”
His focus now turns to ensuring he is fit and ready for the ICC World Twenty20 competition. The BLACKCAPS play their first competition game on April 30. “Our goal is getting the fitness and attitude up and driving it from there.”
