New Zealand allrounder Scott Styris could be in trouble with his bosses after sending an expletive-laced text to former teammate turned commentator Mark Richardson.
Styris twice texted the former New Zealand opener over what he believed to have been a negative article Richardson wrote for The Herald on Sunday.
The first one sarcastically thanked Richardson for the article before describing him as a “geriatric —-head”, the paper reported today.
It is then understood to have added: “We hope you die choking on your own —- that you speak.”
Styris then used more expletives in a second text and abused Richardson again as a “scribe/hack/journo/wannabe journo”.
Speaking yesterday from London’s Heathrow Airport before boarding a plane back to New Zealand, senior professional Styris acknowledged that the language used in the texts was unacceptable.
“When I read Mark’s article I was pretty fired up about it and flicked him a text message,” he said.
“The words I used in them were pretty volatile but I have apologised to him.”
Richardson refused to comment on the texts which he said he had not wanted to be made public.
He forwarded an informal complaint to New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive, Justin Vaughan, who is attending the International Cricket Council board meeting in Dubai and was not available for comment.
He also spoke to Players’ Association manager Heath Mills.
“While the language used in the messages were unacceptable to say the least, and we in no way condone that, Scott has apologised for the language he used and the matter should go no further,” Mills said.
However, Styris could face censure of some kind, especially with the texts now made public.
Styris sent the texts after an article quoted Richardson’s opinions on the fourth one-day international in England when Grant Elliott was controversially run out after colliding with Ryan Sidebottom.
The umpires gave England captain Paul Collingwood the opportunity to withdraw the appeal but he did not, an act which incensed the New Zealanders.
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