Simon Doull calls for tougher attitude (5 Sep 1997)

September 05, 1997

Simon Doull calls for tougher attitude

From The Press

New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull says some Canterbury cricketers are "nasty guys" -- but in the nicest possible way.

Doull was reflecting on the sustained success of the Canterbury team in the Shell series over recent seasons and how the New Zealand side needs to adopt a tougher approach to help bring it more consistent results.

New Zealand also had to learn from Australia's hard-nosed professional attitude.

"There are no hellos or giddays when you walk out (against Australia). They're just there to play," Doull said.

"We had that with ND under David White, and Canterbury are like that now -- where you're seen to be a bit arrogant and aloof.

"Basically some of them (the Canterbury side) are pretty nasty guys, but they keep winning. They hate losing and love winning and play their cricket with a little bit more pride and passion than most of the other teams around the country do."

Successful Canterbury coach Denis Aberhart said he took Doull's comments in a positive way as he knew the players were not "nasty" in the general sense of the word.

"We play it hard and go out there expecting to win. The players developed a work ethic and once that was established gained self-belief and confidence," Aberhart said yesterday.

Doull said the New Zealand team needs to start winning so the public sees the ability behind the snazzy sunglasses and beneath the trendy hairstyles.

The Northern Districts bowler said the New Zealand team was too often judged by issues not related to cricket.

"The public idea of the New Zealand team is we're a bunch of show ponies who are more interested in making sure our hair is right and bat contracts signed, than playing cricket," Doull said.

"We have to accept the way people are, and if you can play good cricket, who cares if you have a shaven head or dreadlocks?"

The crunch for the New Zealand team, however, is that it hasn't played well on a consistent basis since the late 1980s. In their frustration, many vent their anger at the players' Oakley-sunglassed image, cursing the apparent pandering to mediocrity.

Doull concedes the time for the team to produce the goods is overdue.

"I don't think we have done ourselves any favours with the things that have gone on -- South Africa (where players were caught smoking cannabis), late nights," he said.

"We have to start winning games to get the public back through the gates. We started last year to play attractive one-day cricket. Now we have to play attractive test cricket and people will come back and watch that too."

Doull, New Zealand "Cricketer of the Year" last season, said a key factor in that development was belief in ability.

"Too many times we have gone to places where we have been seen to be playing harder opposition and tried to draw the game. If you do that, you will lose," he said.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)