Daniel Vettori’s availability for New Zealand’s Champions Trophy campaign is still up in the air, but coach Mike Hesson is confident his team will deliver with or without the veteran spinner.
The Black Caps wound up their three-match ODI series against England with a 34-run loss at Trent Bridge on Thursday, taking out the series 2-0 after two comprehensive wins at Lord’s and Southampton.
They open their Champions campaign Trophy against Sri Lanka in Cardiff on Sunday, and Hesson admits playing Vettori then will be something of a calculated risk.
He hasn’t played a first class match for 10 months due to a succession of injuries but picked up four wickets for New Zealand late last month in a warm-up match against a Northamptonshire 11.
“We’re taking a risk in terms of the lack of match play,” Hesson said.
“He’s only really played a club game but obviously he’s got loads of experience and he’s in decent nick. He’s been training with us for the last few days. If we do play him, it would be a calculated risk.”
Vettori has appeared in 272 one-day internationals for New Zealand, taking 282 wickets at an average of 31.48, but Hesson says his inclusion in the Black Caps team to play Sri Lanka wasn’t essential for victory.
“He’s not vital, we’ve won two away series without Dan but we are certainly a better side with Dan in it.”
Vettori will train with the team on Friday.
“It’s looking promising, I don’t want to get too excited,” Hesson said.
AAP