Daniel Vettori has received his 112th New Zealand Test cap for the third Test against Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Vettori will surpass Stephen Fleming’s record of 111 matches to become the most capped kiwi player.
“Yep Dan will play and we’re really excited about it,” Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum said. “It’s a huge moment for Dan and New Zealand cricket. To own that (record) outright is a tremendous achievement and one we’re all really proud of.”
The fitness of the 35-year-old Vettori, however, is under question as the former skipper has not played five-day cricket since 2012 owing to a series of injuries. But, the Black Caps have included Vettori into the playing XI to boost their spin attack in the Sharjah Test.
New Zealand is looking to play spin trio against Pakistan in the 3rd Test, featuring Ish Sodhi, Mark Craig and Vettori, to exploit the conditions.
“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,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said. “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,” he added. “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.”
