Cricket: Styris defends one-day format

Scott Styris has an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality and rejects suggestions the one-day game is tired and needs changing.

Last week Australian coach John Buchanan said one-day cricket was "tired" and needed updating, while Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Twenty20 cricket would become more popular than either 50-over one-dayers or tests within five years. Inzamam was immediately attracted to the 20-over game after playing at the WACA during their recent tour of Australia.

Styris, though, is not convinced and would hate to see one-dayers drastically altered or dropped.

"I don't agree at all that one-dayers are tired and I don't see the need for too many changes," the Blacks Caps allrounder said. "There are different skills for batting throughout the 50 overs and you need to be good at all of them. You shouldn't just be good at hitting at the start and hitting at the end, because accumulating in the middle is a skill few players do well.

"There could be a couple of tweaks here and there, but certainly nothing drastic like people designating when they want fielding restrictions lifted."

Despite missing yesterday's State Shield final and today's North/South trial match because of a knee injury, Styris is likely to be included in the Black Caps side to face Australia in the Twenty20 international at Eden Park on Thursday.

Although he's never played it before, he saw a few games during last year's tour to England, where Twenty20 is included as part of the domestic game. He will also be exposed to it more when he joins English county side Middlesex during the New Zealand winter.

"From the top level, it certainly looks exciting and people love it," he said. "It suits my game, as well as most of the guys in the Black Caps, so I'm looking forward to it.

"But I don't see it replacing one-day cricket. I see it as purely entertainment for the crowds and maybe a way of attracting a different audience to cricket."

Styris is confident the bruising of a bone under his kneecap will have healed in time for Thursday's game but he's not so confident his facial hair will be in order.

With both sides decked out in 1980s clothing - New Zealand, of course, in the famous beige and brown - there is also a push for each player to have 1980s moustaches and hairdos.

The 29-year-old had been growing a "pretty bad attempt" at a beard before shaving it off last week, believing that he needed to look presentable for a stint as a commentator for ND's televised semifinal against Canterbury last week.

"With less than a week to go it will mean a very poor attempt, so I feel like I'm letting the side down," he said.

- Herald on Sunday