Vettori: I can be ready for the World Cup

Veteran New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori has not played for the Black Caps in over a year, and has been battling with injuries for far longer than that, but he feels he will be fit for the World Cup in February.

The former skipper is at the training camp in Melbourne, having played domestic cricket as well as the Caribbean Premier League earlier this year, and hopes to impress with the A side in a bid to get his place back.

The 35-year-old Vettori said: “Feeling pretty good at the moment. I had a sustained amount of training, played for Northern Districts the other day, and got through that all right.

“I’m hoping to play through the New Zealand A games and prove my fitness through there.

“It’s a strong squad. I think it’s the strongest squad I’ve been involved in, and obviously the World Cup is a long way away and there’s a lot of selection issues before that.

“But it’s a good team and everyone’s excited to be involved in it.”

Skipper Brendon McCullum was pleased with his side’s progress, but felt they needed to keep an eye not only on the World Cup, but on the more immediate concerns of upcoming series, as well as rankings.

He said: “In the past 12 to 18 months we’ve made some significant steps with this team, particularly in the test arena, but with the one-day team as well.

“But for us to be a real threat at World Cup we need to ensure we’re still progressing as we enter it.

“So it’s a delicate balance to try and plan for something and prepare for it, and at the same time focus on the day-to-day tasks and climb up the rankings.”

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