NEW DELHI: How easy is it for a middle-order batsman — someone known for saving innings with stubborn resistance, manning the wicket, frustrating the bowlers and ticking the scoreboard constantly — to suddenly be asked to open the innings in the T20 format, all guns blazing from the first ball?Finn Allen is one of the best examples of a batsman who has successfully made this transformation, transforming from a middle-order player to a destructive T20 opener.
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The story dates back to 2020, when the world was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Allen, 20, has just been introduced to his Wellington Firebirds coach Glenn Pocknall. Pocknall, known for his aggressive philosophy on the domestic circuit in New Zealand, was quick to take an interest in the young batsman’s development after Allen joined his side.At first, the coach watched Allen bat several games at No. 4 or No. 5.Then came the turning point.One day, Pocknall walked into Allen’s room, skipped the usual greetings and gave a blunt instruction and left: “Bat at No. 1 tomorrow. It’s a T20 match.”
Glenn Pocknall
Allen responded with a brisk tap at a healthy rate of punches. But for Pocknall, this was just the beginning of the experiment.The coach had a bigger vision. He wanted Allen to become an opener – and eventually a long-term option at the top of the order for New Zealand ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.Under Pocknall’s tutelage, Allen gradually transformed from an inconsistent middle-order batsman to one of New Zealand’s most explosive batsmen in T20 cricket. Recognizing his potential at the start of 2020, Pocknall worked closely with him, helping him reshape his approach and improve his attacking play.“Finn was 20 when I first came across him. We played him in a four-day match and he was batting in the middle order. He scored 50 but what caught my eye was the way he went into the innings. He looked like he could hit the ball anywhere, he played freely, he had a lot of power and he just looked in complete control. A bit rough around the edges but I spoke to him this winter – and he was in total control. I would really like you to play for us next season and offer him a contract, he wanted to know where he is,” said Pocknall in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com.
Finn Allen in MLC
“Finn’s family is from Auckland. When we first approached him about moving to Wellington and he made his debut, his mum and I flew down from Auckland to be there and support him. When he finally came down in August-September of that year 2021, we tested his skills in high-pressure situations – sitting in the net, sitting with the open goal, then we saw him tire, tire him and come. not one or two, but many games with different scenarios against the best pitchers, and from there we knew he was going to be successful,” the coach said.“I knew his potential. I told him that in T20 cricket we wanted him to open the bat. He was surprised, but what I saw in him was the ability to hit the ball hard and get into really good positions. So I knew if we nurtured him properly and supported him, he would be successful,” he said.Indeed, the world saw Allen’s arrival as the opening match in the semi-final against South Africa. What he did that night became history. He smashed a breathtaking 100 not out from just 33 balls – the fastest century in T20 World Cup history – to take New Zealand to the final in a one-sided contest. From Marc Jansen to Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, Allen proved to be a nightmare for South African pace and spin in the semi-final.ALLEN AND CONFIRMED OPENING SLOTAllen further announced his arrival and cemented his place as the Black Caps opener ahead of the T20 World Cup as he set Major League Cricket (MLC) on fire.Allen, who played for the San Francisco Unicorns, smashed the fastest 150 in T20 history. In the inaugural season of MLC 2025, he produced an amazing 151 off just 52 balls, an innings that included 19 sixes and only five fours.Batting at a strike rate of almost 300, Allen was determined to live up to the faith shown in him by his coach Glenn Pocknall when he told the young batsman: “I want you to open New Zealand in the World Cup.The knock signaled the true arrival of Finn Allen as New Zealand’s devastating T20 opener – and served as a warning bell for opponents ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Find Allen
“Allen is really great against both spin and pace and has developed tremendously over the last five years. With exposure to the IPL, The Hundred and MLC for the San Francisco Unicorns last year, along with playing alongside some quality players in those teams, he has learned a lot from them and that has really lifted his game. The MLC has helped him a lot,” Pocknall said.
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“He’s a very humble guy and he admires a lot of other New Zealand batsmen. He’s only playing T20 cricket for New Zealand at the moment, but as you can see from his skill, technique and temperament, he has the ability to play all three formats if he wants to,” he said.“Like any batsman, he can be very nervous and doubt his ability. So the key thing we believed in as a coaching group and a senior management group was to give him confidence, make sure he believed in himself and knew he had our full support no matter what happened in the middle. That really helped unlock his potential and gave him the freedom to go out and play exactly the way he does without fear of failure.” Pocknall.
