In exclusive remarks made to PakPassion.net, Scott Styris spoke of his admiration for the SLPL as a premier T20 tournament, his life as a “freelancer” and also provided his take on the chances for New Zealand in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

 by Nimra Ishtiaq (30th August 2012)

The inaugural edition of the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) will reach its conclusion with a much anticipated finale on August 31, 2012, with the two top teams of the tournament - Uva Next and Nagenahira Nagas – battling to take the crown in Colombo.

It has been a successful tournament as evident from the reviews it has received not only from the fans, but also those who have featured in the seven-team tournament. With a host of International players on display, the tournament has truly showcased some of the top talents of the game while providing important exposure to some of Sri Lanka’s own local players.

Scott Styris of New Zealand, is a veteran of many such tournaments and has participated in no less than 6 such competitions. In exclusive remarks made to PakPassion.net, the former New Zealand all rounder spoke of his admiration for the SLPL as a premier T20 tournament, his life as a “freelancer” and also provided his take on the chances for New Zealand in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

Styris was clearly impressed by what he saw of the SLPL in terms of organization and facilities stating that “The SLPL has been a thoroughly enjoyable event. I think it is a very well-organised tournament and we have been provided with top-drawer facilities. It has been a great experience to be with the likes of [Sanath] Jayasuriya and [Kumar] Sangakkara. To be honest, I was a little nervous initially as this was a newly formed league but credit to the organizers, I’ve been really impressed with the facilities and it’s been a great three weeks here.”

Whilst the concept of the SLPL is based upon the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the organizers would have hoped for better attendances but Styris is confident that this will change as the local audiences come to grips with and build affinity with the teams and their personnel

“The attendance has been an issue, as we haven’t seen huge crowds at the SLPL. However, [Kumar] Sangakkara told me that a lot of people are getting used to the format and the teams, so it will take a little time for them to grasp the concept and get used to it. I am sure that we will be seeing more people at the grounds in the future editions of this tournament”

In terms of his own performance, Stryis has had a rather quiet tournament. Representing the Kandurata Warriors, he could only manage a total of 5 runs and failed to pick up a wicket in the 2 matches that he featured in. His team, however, performed well as a unit, reaching the semi final which was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to heavy rain. Kandurata Warriors were unlucky to have been denied a place in the final as they were one point behind the other semi finalists Nagenahira Nagas at the end of the round-robin stage.

Commenting on his own performance at the SLPL, the 37-year-old stated “Although I haven’t played many games here, I am disappointed with my performance but that’s the way it goes sometimes! Our team with [Saeed] Ajmal and [Sohail] Tanvir is really great and if we have all players present then we can do really well next season hopefully.”

Prior to arriving in Sri Lanka for the SLPL, Styris had smashed a 37-ball hundred that helped Sussex beat Gloucestershire comfortably in the quarter-final of the Friends Life T20 (FLT20) in England. He then played two matches for Kandurata Warriors at the SLPL before returning to England for the FLT20 semi final clash with Yorkshire, where Sussex eventually ended up on the losing side. Clearly disappointed by his English team’s semi final exit, the Brisbane-born Kiwi all rounder stated “I was really disappointed that after playing so well in the championship, we lost in the semi final - the big game. Realistically, we were just one game away from making it to the Champions League T20 which makes it even harder to take!”

Scott Styris retired from Test cricket in the year 2008 in order to prolong his limited overs international career. With 188 ODI and 31 T20I appearances for New Zealand under his belt, he announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket in June last year and has been playing in domestic Twenty20 cricket leagues all around the world. He was roped in by Chennai Super Kings for the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he did not feature in a single match. Later, he played for Sylhet Royals at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Sussex at the FLT20 and Kandurata Warriors at the SLPL and has also been signed by the Hobart Hurricanes for the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia this season. When asked about his experience as a freelance cricketer, Styris admitted that he did not foresee himself featuring in such a high number of cricket matches.

“It’s been very different to what I imagined it to be. I didn’t think I would be playing so much cricket – I thought I would finish my IPL (Indian Premier League) and play domestic cricket in New Zealand. However, it turns out that I am playing in 6 leagues: BBL, IPL, BPL, domestic T20 championship in England, domestic T20 cricket in New Zealand and SLPL! I am very busy – I’ve only spent about three and a half weeks in New Zealand!”

The ICC T20 World Cup tournament is set to begin at the end of September in Sri Lanka. In the past, New Zealand’s best result at the ICC World Twenty20 came in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007 where they lost the semi final to Pakistan. Styris does not hold high expectations from the Black Caps in the upcoming fourth edition of the tournament but does feel that the future is bright for this young team.

“The team has been struggling of late. The skills are there but it’s a very young team. They are the best players that New Zealand can offer and ordinarily, they would have done well in the T20 World Cup but given that the tournament is to be played in Asia, I think they will struggle to go past the likes of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India who will be much more comfortable in these conditions. Having said that, I feel that with some very talented young guys coming in, New Zealand cricket has a bright future” Styris concluded.