New Zealand's cricketers have come in for some startling criticism from their own coach Mark Greatbatch who feels some players "aren't as good as they think they are" and even a couple of draws in next month's three-Test series against India would be a "good result".
New Zealand were handed a humiliating 0-4 thrashing by minnows Bangladesh in a recent one-day series, a result which stunned the country known to perform beyond expectations at big events such as the World Cup.
The whitewash in Bangladesh has made for a demoralising build-up to the India series which starts November 4. Daniel Vettori's men will play three Tests and five one-dayers against India.
The first Test begins in Ahmedabad on Thursday, followed by matches in Hyderabad and Nagpur.
"India have only lost one of their last 13 Tests in India, so if you're gonna ask me what a good result is I would take two draws," Greatbatch told Radio New Zealand.
Talking about the shambolic tour of Bangladesh, Greatbatch said, "When you play badly like that you've got to front up, it's devastating, we played like dicks really."
"You can talk about structures as much as you want but the reality is it's about the bat and ball. Watching it, making good decisions and getting the hell stuck into the opposition and we just haven't done that consistently," he added. Greatbatch said some players in the team are not fit for international cricket.
"I'll be honest again I think some (players) aren't good enough, I think some think they're better than they are and the third thing I think is the mind."
"We've got to get our mind right and sometimes that requires patience. Sometimes it requires being aggressive. What it requires is actually sorting out the cricket smarts and weighing up the situation that you're playing in and we've got some work to do in all those areas." The coach was, however, lavish in his praise for explosive batsman Ross Taylor.
"I think Ross Taylor has only played 25 Tests, that's not a lot, some of these World class players have played 150," Greatbatch said.
"I think he's on the right track. I think when his career's come to an end he will have played close to 100 Tests for New Zealand and probably be one of our best."
