New Zealand are ready to upset the odds by challenging for the ICC World Twenty20 despite not being considered favourites.

New Zealand are ready to upset the odds by challenging for the World Twenty20 despite again being excluded from the list of favourites to win the tournament.

Australia, South Africa and holders India are favoured by many to make the strongest challenge despite having to face each other in the second stage if they qualify from their groups.

But few people are backing New Zealand to prosper despite an impressive record at major tournaments, including reaching the semi-finals of the last three World events - the 2006 Champions Trophy, the 2007 World Cup and the World Twenty20 played that year.

"We're always going to be strong"

"I think that's always going to be the case," conceded 33-year-old all-rounder Scott Styris. "New Zealand doesn't have that aura and that history to suggest we're always going to be strong.

"We've made the semi-final stage in all three of the last few tournaments, which suggests we're always going to be there or thereabouts.

"It's up to us whether we can take it a step further, but we're not too worried about what other teams think of us. We are aware, though, that if we play well enough we'll be better than other teams too."

New Zealand, who begin their campaign against Scotland at the Oval on Saturday, have the advantage of seven members of their squad - captain Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Styris, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills - featuring in the recent IPL tournament to hone their Twenty20 skills.

They were also one of the first teams to arrive on English soil to begin their preparations and have played six warm-up matches - losing only to Australia - so should be both acclimatised and match ready for the Scots on Saturday.

In Styris they also have a player who featured for IPL winners Deccan Chargers and believes the influence of that tournament and the techniques developed in it will be a key part of the World Twenty20 event.

"I played in the same side as Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist and even just listening to them going into the final of the IPL, the language they speak and the way they think you should go about performing in big games has been great," enthused Styris.

"I'm sure that's the case in all the guys in all the teams - you're not only learning things about batting, bowling, fielding and techniques and tactics but also about mindsets going into big games - I think that stands us in good stead, but to be fair I think it helps all the teams with IPL players.

"When one-day cricket first came in it would have taken a few years for tactics and techniques to develop in the game and it was always going to be the same with Twenty20 cricket.

Hamilton aiming to cause an upset

"It's probably got a long way to go even from now so I think you'll see a marked change in the way the game's played from two years ago. Most players from most countries have been playing in the IPL and there are so many ideas thrown about between each other, I can't see there being too many secrets either."

New Zealand are expected to be at full strength for their opening match and continue their campaign against South Africa at Lord's on Tuesday and should they qualify, they are expected to face Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the next stage as they attempt to reach their fourth successive semi-final at a world event.

Should they go one better and win the tournament, matching their achievement at the 2000 Champions Trophy, it would represent an impressive double for Styris in being able to lift the IPL and the ICC World Twenty20 trophies in the same year.

"I know Andrew Symonds thought that winning with Deccan was as big as winning any World Cup and I think that was right," added Styris.

"All our guys viewed it that way, we were absolutely elated when we won it and winning something like this would be no different - I think they're both on a similar level.

"Both are now taken very seriously in the world game these days by the players and winning either or both would be perfect."

Approaching milestones:

New Zealand vs. Scotland
 
- Brendon McCullum (582) needs 18 runs more to become the first batsman to aggregate 600 runs in Twenty20 Internationals.
 
- McCullum, with a fifty, would become the first batsman to post five successive fifty-plus innings. With four consecutive fifties - 59 against West Indies at Hamilton on December 28, 2008; 61 against Australia at Sydney on February 15, 2009; 56 not out against India at Christchurch on February 25, 2009 and 69 not out against India at Wellington on February 27, 2009 - McCullum holds a record for most fifties.          
 
Head to Head:
 
- New Zealand and Scotland would be playing for the first time in a Twenty20 International against each other.
 
- Scotland have played one game each against Bermuda, Ireland, India, Kenya, Netherlands and Pakistan.