New Zealand Cricket holds onto Daniel Vettori despite Indian disaster
After going through a real tough time in international cricket, the New Zealand Cricket has decided to retain captain Daniel Vettori for the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and the ODI World Cup that is set to be played in the sub-continent from
February next year.
The New Zealanders were the only team to play in all World Cup host countries India, Bangladesh and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 this year and unfortunately for them they lost miserably in all three countries.
Despite the appalling results, the New Zealand governing body of the game still have hope from Vettori and have retained him captain for the upcoming assignments besides the World Cup.
The decision was conveyed by the Chief Executive of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 Cricket, former Test cricketer Justin Vaughan. "We need to go through a proper review and talk about what options there are to help the side improve. But I'd be hard pressed
to believe the captaincy would be one of those issues."
On the other hand, the bitterly disappointed Vettori has rated the tour to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 the worst of his career, his dejection can be understood as other than the failures there his side was overwhelmed by the minnows of international cricket
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 by a shocking margin of 4-0 in a five match series.
"I look back on this one-day tour [of India] as one of the worst tours for me as a New Zealand cricketer," Vettori said in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Auckland-c766. "That hurts a lot and it's embarrassing." He insisted, however, that there was no need for a new team leader.
"I enjoy doing the job, but if the team needs to move forward without me, then so be it. I don't think it's the right answer but there's a committee set up and I'm sure they'll make some decisions."
After the team returned from the tour, the national cricket board formed a committee comprising of former batting great Martin Crowe and fast bowler Shane Bond to probe in to the disaster in the sub-continent.
Other than Vettori, there are question marks on the future of Mark Greatbatch who was the coach of the team on the two tours.
He is set to be under intense scrutiny as many feel that he ought to be replaced by former captain John Wright who had a fairly successful run with the Indian team that lasted four years.
Greatbatch has himself conceded that his future is uncertain and has even expressed that he would not be too upset if he was sidelined before the World Cup albeit the premier ODI tournament was his eventual target.
Vaughan added that it would be equally tough to send the former left handed batsman packing as he has always remained a favourite of the cricketing fans and pundits around the world.
"I understand people's desire to see him attached to the Black Caps because the New Zealand public loves John," Vaughan said. "He's had a proven international record and the Black Caps aren't travelling very well at the moment. But we are
comfortable with the process we went with around the appointment of Mark and the way the team is operating with Roger [Mortimer, the NZC high-performance director] and the others."
The series against Pakistan is the last throw of the dice for the beleaguered Black Caps, one consolation for them is that their opposition is equally fragile after a tumultuous year off the field which saw at least ten players sidelined
at various times throughout the last twelve months.
Even now the trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif is serving suspension due to their alleged involvement in the infamous spot fixing scandal that rocked the foundations of the game earlier in the year.
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