Scott Styris who played a minimal part in Chennai's IPL triumph will be hoping to impress when he gets his opportunities.

By Shashank Kishore

New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris, who retired from International cricket after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, will head into the Nokia Champions League Twenty20 at the back of a strong season with Essex in the English County Championships. The 36-year-old, who will represent Chennai Super Kings in the mega tournament, spoke extensively on his build-up to the glitzy event in an exclusive chat with ESPNSTAR.com.

Shashank Kishore: How much pressure will there be on CSK, considering that you will be going into the tournament as defending champions?

Scott Styris: There is always pressure on us. Chennai Super Kings have won 3 tournaments in a row, so everyone will be out to take us down. Pressure is a part of competitive cricket and we have to learn to deal with it. We have been in 'backs to the wall situations' before and come out triumphs. So we are all geared up for the challenge.

SK: You are coming out of an intense county stint with Essex. How different is the standard of T20 cricket in England as compared to the IPL?

SS: The difference is mainly in the size of the crowds and the intense focus of the media, to be honest. At Essex we almost always had sell out crowd who were fantastic, but that is still only about 6500 people, unlike at Eden Gardens where you have 80,000 fans watching an IPL game. The standard cricket is fantastic, and equal if not better than the IPL, but of course you have only 2 overseas players, unlike 4 foreigners in the IPL.

SK: You didn't get to play much in the IPL season. How difficult was it to keep yourself motivated, especially where you are spoilt for choice when it comes to the international players?

SS: It is very tough at times; I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. But, you can't get down against the rules, which permits only four overseas players. At the end of the day, you’ve to remain prepared in the best possible way and hope the coach comes knocking to say you're playing and if not help the other guys prepare in the best possible manner. 

SK: What is the one thing that differentiates CSK from the other teams?

SS: I can only separate Chennai Super Kings from maybe Deccan Chargers. CSK have made a big push for continuity and ensuring in the sense that they didn't want to dilute fan loyalty. I'm sure our fans have an instant connect with the team has the same nucleus. As one of the 'outsiders' All I can do is fit in with the way Dhoni, Fleming and our team principal Gurunath Meiyappan who are the driving force for the team.

SK: CSK have an enviable record at home. You were unbeaten in Chennai this season. Will there be any added pressure on the side? What is the key to invincibility?

SS: You either embrace pressure or learn to handle it or let it eat you up. We will have more pressure on us than normal. Chepauk has been a fortress but I think it was more to do with the quality of the side than the ground. Many times last IPL, we were under pressure, yet the team came through. That speaks volumes for the kind of set up we have.

SK: Which team do you see as the biggest threat in this year's edition of CLT20?

SS: We are in a tough group and all sides are competitive. We can't really worry about who is stronger or at par with us. We have to just focus on winning each game and takes things as they come. The tournament format is such that it still allows you to comeback despite a bad game, so there are no excuses for let ups.  All I can say is we are not concerned about composition of other sides, I believe if we focus on getting our priorities right, we will win it.

SK: You have spent a lot of time on and off the field with Stephen Fleming. Now he is the coach. Has the equation changed? What are his special traits

SS: Yes I have, firstly as captain and now as coach. So basically he has been my boss throughout my professional career! He coaches in the same way he captained the Black Caps. He is very relaxed and gives the praises when the guys deserve it. He can also be harsh at times and give a kick up the backside when they need it. His emotion remains pretty level which is always good for a leader, no matter what industry they are in. 

SK: Will there be any specific adjustments you have to make to your game playing in India after spending the last few months on nippy wickets in England?

SS: Not really. The wickets were surprisingly quite slow and low in the UK, almost pretty similar to in India. It's just a matter of hitting the ground running in the Champions League as you can't afford to take a game or two to find your feet.

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