Black Caps call on Vettori for final UAE Test

Veteran New Zealand spinner and former captain Daniel Vettori has joined the Black Caps Test squad for the third and final match against Pakistan in Sharjah, UAE.
Vettori was already over in the UAE with the New Zealand A team, but trained with the first string Kiwis on Tuesday ahead of the Test on Wednesday.
Having played 112 Tests, the 35-year-old has 360 wickets to his name and last played for the Test side in 2012 against the West Indies. He has been in and out of action with various injuries, mainly an Achilles problem.
Coach Mike Hesson said if Vettori does play, it’s possible it will be in tandem with the current spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig.
Hesson said: "From the first two Tests it’s been pretty clear how important spin is in these conditions and we expect the pitch in Sharjah to be the slowest of all three wickets.
"The possibility of having three bowlers who can exploit those conditions is an exciting option for us to have. Dan obviously has an incredible amount of experience and has shown how effective he can be in these sorts of conditions.
"It doesn't mean that Dan will play in Tests for us in the future, but it’s a great opportunity to use him in this one-off unique situation."
Latest
-
News
Virat Kohli refuses to accept pitch is to blame for England’s two-day defeat
Kohli believes poor batting by both sides resulted in the game being over inside two days.
-
News
Joe Root wants England to free themselves from fear in fourth Test against India
The tourists will be hoping to level the series at 2-2 when they start the final match in Ahmedabad.
-
News
Zak Crawley vows England will be more proactive in battle against India’s spin
Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have run riot in helpful conditions.
-
News
Dale Steyn heaps praise on Pakistan trio, prefers PSL over IPL
Record South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is full of praise for Pakistan players Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Babar Azam.
-
News
Chris Gayle sets sights on third T20 World Cup title
West Indies veteran Chris Gayle has set his sights on winning a third T20 World Cup when he makes his return to international cricket.
-
News
Cricket in line to receive significant chunk of £300m sports recovery package
The England and Wales Cricket Board welcomed the support, describing it as “a lifeline for parts of the game”.
-
News
Marcus Trescothick relishing return to ‘special environment’ with England
Trescothick is England’s new batting coach.
-
News
Jack Leach feels here to stay after establishing himself as top England spinner
Leach made his debut almost three years ago in New Zealand but had made only 10 appearances before the turn of the year.
-
News
Kevin O’Brien says century against England helped Ireland ‘reach for the stars’
O’Brien hit a 50-ball 113 as Ireland chased down a target of 328 in the 2011 World Cup.