Kiwi coach says his side can take Aussies on in Chappell-Hadlee series
Sydney, Jan. 25 : Black Caps coach Andy Moles has predicted his young side can beat Australia in next month''s Chappell-Hadlee series.
The 14-man squad for the series, which begins on February 1 in Perth, was named on Thursday and includes newcomers Trent Boult and Brendon Diamanti.
Veterans Scott Styris and Jacob Oram will both miss the series with injury, meaning the side looks inexperienced.
But that hasn''t stopped Moles, who has been in charge of the side for almost two months, from faithfully sticking by his unfancied young guns.
"I''m really excited about this series. I can''t wait for it to start. We''ve got five or six real international match winners and if they perform and we all stand up and be counted, [I] really expect to win over there. The underdogs label doesn''t matter to me at all," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Moles, as saying.
"We may well be the underdogs, but it''s about how we feel ourselves and how we approach this challenge. If we go into the games expecting to come second, then we will come second. If we go into the games with a hunger and yearning for success, and if we believe we can stand up man for man against the Australians, then we can win a game of cricket," he added.
Whether 18-year-old Boult and all-rounder Diamanti will get a crack at the Australians remains to be seen. But Moles is adamant if the conditions are right he won''t stand in the way of either player making his debut.
"Looking at the squad, I think we have several bowlers with different skills which, under the right conditions, we believe can expose the Australians. That''s why they''ve been selected," Moles said.
The New Zealanders start their tour of Australia on Thursday against the PM XI in Canberra. The PM XI''s coach Ashley Ross had earmarked all-rounder Jesse Ryder as a danger man.
The squad: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Neil Broom, Grant Elliott, Brendon Diamanti, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Iain O''Brien, Trent Boult. (ANI)
