Nielsen defends his 'idiot' Australian players

Hamilton, Mar 9(ANI): Australian coach Tim Nielsen has refuted comments made by former New Zealand captain and ICC match referee John Reid that the Australian team includes "idiots" who need to pull their heads in.

Reid's comment had come as both the camps are reveling in the passion and emotion generated by New Zealand's sensational victory in the second international Twenty20 game and the opening clash of the five-match one-day series at Napier.

Tempers were flaring during the Napier ODI where Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson's head-butt to New Zealand batsman Scott Styris's helmet took hostilities into another realm.

"Generally the Australian team looks good, but there are a handful of idiots who need to be reined in. Do your work with the bat and the ball, not your mouth. It's not necessary," Reid had said.

However, Nielsen said that Reid is not a current player and he would not know the modern day environment and competitive nature of the game.

"They are young men with plenty of ego and plenty of fire in the belly," The Herald Sun quoted Nielsen, as saying.

"At some stage when they get a bit a bit cranky and a bit fired up because they feel as though the game is on the line, you'll see some emotion and you don't want to take that out of the game," he added. (ANI)