Attitude behind Styris' omission
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Associated Press
Scott Styris' omission from the squad to play Bangladesh appears to be a decision the selectors based on attitude rather than form, writes Andrew Alderson in the New Zealand Herald. Styris was offered the chance to respond to his omission and the resulting feedback but politely, and perhaps understandably, declined, but a number of cricketers took minimum coaxing to comment.
"Scotty kicked a lot of people on the way up, now he's getting kicked by a lot of people on the way down," one said. "He can be a bit of a bully boy with his pranks to try to fit in. Dan would ask if he's a must-have? Most would say 'no'."
Another said: "He's highly competitive but when he takes the piss it can be misconstrued at times."
Other responses included: "He's seen as selfish, a difficult bugger," and "my heart's not bleeding for him. Cricket always revolved around what he was doing. Scotty's all about Scotty."
In the same paper Mark Richardson says the Central Districts opening batsman Peter Ingram has no second chances and that's the beauty of selecting someone in their thirties.
Meanwhile Paul Lewis feels that if Twenty20 can help lift attendances and appreciation of cricket, including Tests, then it will have performed a mighty task.
In the Sunday News, Aaron Lawton speaks to Jesse Ryder and discovers his difficult upbringing has played a part in his sometimes wild ways.
"I haven't ever really had boundaries or rules set in place for me, even when I was a young fella," Ryder told Sunday News, at his home in Lower Hutt. "Growing up, I basically just did what I wanted to do so it has been really hard to change the way I do things." He was moved around the Wairarapa and finally settled in Napier with dad Peter. "I didn't really have the best upbringing in Napier because my old man was always going out and coming in late," Ryder said.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo