Aussies are fantastic cricketers, but no better than Kiwis: Styris
By ANISunday, February 21, 2010
AUCKLAND - New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris, who has been recalled for the first two games of the ODI series against Australia, has said that the Ricky Ponting-led Australian team is beatable and urged his team-mates to believe in themselves.
“When I started playing against Australia 10 years ago, one of the big things was believing you can beat them. From a young age we get Australian cricket on TV here and we look up to these guys and think they are supermen. It’s not the case,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Styris, as saying.
“They are fantastic cricketers in their own right but they are no better than we are, and it just takes a little while to believe you are good enough and can beat them. Certainly, when they had great players like the Waugh brothers, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, we sometimes put them on a pedestal, but it’s not the case with these guys,” he added.
Styris also wants to prove that the Australians, who have had an unbeaten season at home, are not as good as they might think they are.
“Even though they are destroying Pakistan and West Indies, they have nothing we should be fearful of. I’m at a stage in my career where I love beating them and I think New Zealand has every right to beat them in this series,” Styris said.
The 34-year-old further said that he was disappointed by his controversial omission from the team for the three ODIs against Bangladesh earlier this month, with suggestions a poor attitude played a role.
“A few selection things haven’t gone my way this season and I was starting to think 2010 was a shit year,” Styris said.
“I’m only in for the first two ODI games, but it’s better than nothing, isn’t it? Seriously though, it’s pleasing because I’ve been in good form since Christmas,” he added. (ANI)
