Vettori’s wait on the sidelines continues
The wait for New Zealand fans to see left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori back in action is set to continue after it was announced that he would be sitting on the sidelines for the three-Test series against England, which begins on March 6.
Vettori is currently recovering from an Achilles strain he aggravated during the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last September and is hoping to be back playing for New Zealand during their tour of England in May.
Even though Vettori will be cleared to play cricket in about a month’s time, he stated that he would not be able to play Test cricket right away and would instead look to regain some form by representing Northern Districts in the domestic league.
“I’m hoping to be available for selection for Northern Districts’ one-day campaign [that begins on February 28], and then whatever happens from there happens,” Vettori told Fairfax NZ News. “I won’t be able to play any four-day cricket, so the Test matches against England may be a stretch for me.
“That [New Zealand’s tour of England] is probably a more realistic goal, but Achilles are funny things, they come and go with the pain and I need to prove to not only the selectors, but myself, that I can manage back-to-back days of cricket. That’s the plan, but I’ll just see how I go.”
Vettori has missed New Zealand’s tour of India, Sri Lanka and most recently South Africa in order to complete a four-month rehabilitation programme.
The left-arm spinner noted that he was about “three-quarters of the way through” the recovery process and a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) spokesperson added that Vettori would undergo a fitness test before he intends to return to first-class cricket in March.