They say catches win matches but if Brendon McCullum helps New Zealand win the world twenty/20 tournament, it will be with the bat, not the gloves.
McCullum sees himself more as a specialist batsman these days and will not be keeping in the Caribbean.
No surprise there - he has shared the duties with Gareth Hopkins, Peter McGlashan and even BJ Watling in twenty/20 games during the past 12 months.
Replacement keeper Hopkins has been successful at domestic level with the bat but he is still largely unproven at international level.
So the move definitely weakens the line-up. But the question is whether it will result in more runs for McCullum.
Anyone who watched the inaugural game of the Indian Premier League, in which he blasted an incredible undefeated 158 for Kolkata, can have no doubts about his ability.
Since that remarkable innings McCullum has hit two more twenty/20 100s - one for Otago and the other a devastating display of power hitting against Australia. He scored an undefeated 116 from 56 deliveries, including 12 fours and eight sixes.
But the shot most will remember was when he scooped a 150km thunderbolt from Shaun Tait over fine leg for six.
Hopkins had the gloves that day and if McCullum was feeling the extra pressure which comes playing as a specialist batsman, it did not show.
"There is pressure on when you're just playing as a batsman," McCullum told the Otago Daily Times from Guyana.
"But you get used to dealing with that sort of pressure when you play at this level."
How he copes is likely to have a big impact on New Zealand's prospects.
While the captain, Daniel Vettori, and Shane Bond will play their part with the ball, McCullum is the ace in the pack.
Twenty/20 games are won by batsmen and he is one of the most destructive players in the game.
His combination with Jesse Ryder at the top of the order promises to be entertaining, and with the likes of Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram and Scott Styris all capable of finding the boundary regularly, New Zealand has a potent batting line-up.
The frailties which too often get exposed in longer forms of the game are not as evident in twenty/20.
"The shorter version definitely suits us," McCullum said. "We've got some match-winners in our team and in twenty/20 it only takes one or two guys to come off to win a game on any given day.
"If we can keep our best team on the park and gain some momentum through the tournament, we believe we have a good enough team to be there at the end. That is the mindset we've got to have and that is why we have continually done well in tournament play."
The Black Caps are in group B and open their campaign against Sri Lanka on Saturday morning (4.45am NZ time) and play Zimbabwe early Wednesday morning.
One win will be enough to propel New Zealand into the second round.
The subcontinent sides have dominated the two previous tournaments. India beat Pakistan in the inaugural tournament in 2007. Pakistan rebounded and beat Sri Lanka in England last year.
Australia will be looking to make up for some indifferent twenty/20 performances and the West Indies will be tough on their home turf.
England is capable and South Africa has some seasoned campaigners.
The Proteas reached the semifinals last year and shape as strong competitors.
Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ireland will likely make an early exit from the tournament.
But then again the Irish reached the second round last year, so anything is possible.
World twenty/20 in the West Indies
Group A: Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan
Group B: New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
Group C: Afghanistan, India, South Africa
Group D: England, Ireland, West Indies
New Zealand's draw
v Sri Lanka, May 1, 4.45am
v Zimbabwe, May 5, 1.15am
The top two sides from each pool progress to the second round. The final is on May 17 at 3.15am.
The contenders
AFGHANISTAN
2009: Did not qualify.
Prospects: Who knew they played cricket in Afghanistan? Will not win a game.
Player to watch: Eighteen-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has scored two ODI 100s and has a bright future.
AUSTRALIA
2009: Eliminated in pool play.
Prospects: If the Australians took the tournament seriously they would have one hand on the trophy. Performances at the tournament have so far been disappointing.
Player to watch: Cameron White gave a glimpse of his enormous potential in New Zealand this summer with a rapid half century.
BANGLADESH
2009: Eliminated in pool play.
Prospects: Stuck in a tough pool with Australia and Pakistan.
Player to watch: The captain, Shakib Al Hasan, is classy all-rounder and the backbone of a young side.
ENGLAND
2009: Eliminated in the second round.
Prospects: Does not have the clash of some of the other sides.
Player to watch: Everyone will be watching Kevin Pietersen but watch out for Shane Watson lookalike and all-rounder Luke Wright.
INDIA
2009: Eliminated in the second round.
Prospects: Too much quality not to feature at the business end of the competition.
Player to watch: It is a batsman's game but spinner Harbhajan Singh might just be in his element on the slower-paced wickets in the Caribbean.
IRELAND
2009: Eliminated in the second round.
Prospects: Bleak.
Reached the second round last year but seeded behind Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
Player to watch: Paul Sterling is Ireland's version of Jesse Ryder. The 19-year-old right-hander is said to be one of the most promising cricketers to emerge from the Emerald Isle.
NEW ZEALAND
2009: Eliminated in the second round.
Prospects: The Black Caps tend to punch above their weight and look well-suited to the shorter format of twenty/20.
Player to watch: You cannot keep Daniel Vettori out of the action. If he is not taking wickets he is scoring runs - no matter how ugly it looks.
PAKISTAN
2009: Champion.
Prospects: Pakistan has fallen off the pace in the test arena but remains a threat in the shorter forms of the game.
Player to watch: Right-hand batsman Umar Akmal scored a century on debut and his carefree approach is bound to win over a coterie of new fans.
SOUTH AFRICA
2009: Semifinalist.
Prospects: The Proteas have an extremely well-balanced side and talent to burn.
Player to watch: Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merve is tricky to get away and has an excellent twenty/20 record.
SRI LANKA
2009: Runner-up.
Prospects: There are some very experienced and cools heads and it would not be a surprise if the team went one better than last year.
Player to watch: Dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan is one of the great entertainers in the world game.
WEST INDIES
2009: Semifinalist.
Prospects: Reached semifinals last year; should be hard to beat at home.
Player to watch: Chris Gayle could win a game on his own but will not need to with the entire Caribbean getting in behind the home side.
ZIMBABWE 2009: Did not qualify.
Prospects: Had a shock victory over Australia in the 2007 tournament, but unlikely to progress past pool play.
Player to watch: Charles Coventry is a very capable batsman and scored a headline-grabbing undefeated 194 against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in August last year.
