BLACKCAPS all-rounder Scott Styris is confident that the BLACKCAPS have the team to upset the much fancied England team despite losing their first Super 8 match against South Africa and a below par batting display in their win over Pakistan.
A nail biting one run victory over defending champions, Pakistan, has kept the BLACKCAPS semi-final hopes alive with Styris calling for his team mates to play with more freedom.
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“It was probably too close for comfort but a wins a win and it keep us alive in the tournament. Everything was great, the boys were really happy and it’s now on to England,” he said about the narrow win.
“We seemed to play with a little bit of fear yesterday and by that I mean guys were a little scared of taking risks and playing the big shots. In this version of the game, especially in big games, you have got to be prepared to get out and as a group we didn’t do that.
“We need to go into the next game, and not actually fear getting out and failing and try and take the game by the scruff of the neck.”
If the BLACKCAPS are to progress they need to beat a red-hot England side and hope Pakistan beat South Africa or at least run them close.
England will be without Kevin Pietersen for the crucial fixture with the hard hitting batsman returning home for the birth of his first child. Although Styris acknowledges that his absence is a bonus for the BLACKCAPS he is aware that England are going to be tough competition but not unbeatable.
“England are going to be very difficult, they are going to be difficult because they have probably been the form team of the competition, one of the form teams.
“They are playing good cricket, they are really confident and confident teams in Twenty20 cricket are hard to beat. I would like to think we have got some momentum; we have won all bar one of our games.
“They are missing Pietersen by all accounts as well, so I would like to think that we can certainly match them and go ahead and win the game and get through,” he added.
