NZ relish Aussie downfall

Hockey players cant resist a chuckle as trans-Tasman rivals bite the dust in cricket

Mihir Vasavda. Chandigarh

As the cricketing world comes to terms with a paradigm shift at the top, Australias trans-Tasman rivals cant help but enjoy the Aussie downslide, even if they are involved in other sports.

Terming the Australian failure as “their lifetime wish”, New Zealand hockey players feel recent results comes as a breather for world cricket.

“Everyone was bored of watching them win. You need a change and this comes at a very right time,” said Black Sticks skipper Dean Couzins.

A host of players, including Couzins, in the New Zealand squad for the four-nation Gold Cup hockey tournament here, had taken up cricket during their high school days and most of them went on to play for their districts alongside the likes of Jamie How and Brendum McCullum, to name a few.

“Its fun watching them struggle, isnt it? Those guys are so arrogant. They needed this pill,” said Simon Child, who played cricket for his high school before becoming the second youngest player to play for New Zealand hockey team (at 16). “Its so good to see Ricky (Ponting) being rested,” he winked.

Couzins felt that though India played an important role in bringing down the Australian empire, it was South Africa who did the most important job of all — that of beating Aussies in their own backyard.

“India did play really well against them. They instilled the belief in other countries that Aussies can be beaten. But South Africa humiliated Australia in Australia in both Tests and ODIs and that is a very difficult task,” Couzins said.