Cricket: Tough task for Auckland in Indian T20 tournament

Gareth Hopkins. Photo / Christine Cornege

Auckland are determined to improve New Zealand's dismal record at the Champions League T20 at Hyderabad this month.

Having qualified as winners of New Zealand's HRV Cup, Auckland are following Otago and Central Districts from the previous two tournaments.

Neither of those sides won a game out of a total of six. New Zealand's domestic reputation has taken a dent, so the Indian organisers have dumped Auckland into a qualifying tournament to decide the last three places in the 10-team field.

They play Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders and English county Somerset to qualify.

So is it on Auckland's shoulders to right New Zealand's reputation?

Said captain Gareth Hopkins: "We're going there to give it our best shot. We may not be taken as seriously as, say, an Australian state side or an English county side, so it's up to us to go out and put New Zealand on the map."

Auckland flew to Brisbane on Thursday and have about nine days' preparation, the organisation for which was in part done by former New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen at the Sandgate club.

Then there's about a week in Hyderabad, a couple more warmup games and into the heat of battle.

Coming out of a winter makes it challenging, but Auckland have a strong side, perhaps the best of the three New Zealand squads to take part in the Champions League.

Daryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Chris Martin provide a test and ODI standard seam attack; present and past international batsmen Martin Guptill and Lou Vincent, with English professional Jimmy Adams and Victorian Rob Quiney leading the batting.

Of their two opponents, Somerset were beaten in the English domestic final and their squad has yet to be named. The Kolkata outfit is formidable, with an international cast including Brett Lee and Brad Haddin (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan (India), Eion Morgan (England) and Shakib al Hasan (Bangladesh).

So Auckland will have their hands full, but former test wicketkeeper Hopkins says, "I'm going there full of confidence".

Auckland play Kolkata on September 19 and Somerset a day later. The tournament begins on September 23.