KEY POINTS:
Gareth Hopkins will pack his wicketkeeping gloves - but hope they will not be needed for the one-day series in South Africa next month.
He was yesterday named in the New Zealand one-day team as a specialist batsman, while opener Jamie How was included in the 14-man squad for the first time since early 2006, following Craig McMillan's retirement last week.
Hopkins played five one-dayers for his country in England in 2004 as a wicketkeeper when he was rushed in to cover for injury but was not required to bat. He has not been wanted again until now, although he was in the New Zealand squad for last month's Twenty20 World Cup, when he again did not play in a match.
Selection panel manager Sir Richard Hadlee said Hopkins was seen as a specialist batting option at No 6 or No 7 in what he termed "a new era" for the side. The retirement of captain Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle and now McMillan since last summer has gutted the team of much of its batting depth, with the trio boasting 699 one-day caps between them.
Hopkins, 30, convinced the selectors of his worth with the bat when playing for New Zealand A in Australia this month. Hadlee said: "He deserves a spot as a specialist batsman on merit based on his batting form for Otago in the past couple of seasons and on the two recent New Zealand A team tours of Australia."
Hopkins was dismissed only once while scoring 164 runs in three innings during the Interstate Pre-Season Challenge across the Tasman, following a hot season for Otago last summer, when he scored more than 500 first-class runs at an average of 85.66.
"He is innovative, he can hit the ball to the boundary, he has some deft touches and is very quick between the wickets," said Hadlee. "His batting has made tremendous progress in the last couple of seasons. We just like his energy, enthusiasm, his work ethic and attitude to the game.
"He really wants it, and that sort of thing counts for a lot."
Hadlee said Hopkins' skills behind the stumps were a secondary consideration, although he was an obvious backup option in case of injury to Brendon McCullum.
The inclusion of How gives the selectors another option at the top of the order, with Lou Vincent and McCullum expected to be the preferred opening partnership. All-rounder James Franklin and seam bowler Kyle Mills have been included subject to fitness tests before November 12.
Members of the squad not with the test team already in South Africa are to leave on November 16.
Franklin and Mills have both been recovering from knee injuries and, in Mills' case, a calf strain which precluded his involvement in the two-test series against South Africa.
Hadlee said the selectors had left one spot available, possibly to be filled by Peter Fulton, who is recovering from knee surgery.
* NEW ZEALAND ONE-DAY SQUAD:
Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Gareth Hopkins, Jamie How, Michael Mason, Kyle Mills, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Lou Vincent.
* SCHEDULE
November 23: Twenty20 at Wanderers, Johannesburg.
November 25: First one-dayer at Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban.
November 30: Second one-dayer at Sahara Oval, St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.
December 2: Third one-dayer at Sahara Park, Newlands, Cape Town.
