One of the greatest Kiwi cricketers of all time, Daniel Vettori brought innumerable laurels to this small island located a few kilometres away from Australia. It is the charisma and performance of this veteran cricketer that he could play as many as five world cups for his team. He was a regular member of the Kiwi squad that remained runner-up at the recently concluded Cricket World Cup.

New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori confirms retirement from international cricket

This iconic New Zealand Cricketer always had the guts to lead from the front. Vettori led cricket and soccer team during his school days. Captaincy was something that he inherited naturally. He captained New Zealand cricket team in all formats of the game after the retirement of his former team mate Stephen Fleming.

The illustrious career of this Auckland born all-rounder stretched almost two decades since his debut in 1997. Vettori is probably the only left arm bowler who could play international cricket for so long. Until his retirement, the cricketer was the regular player for Black Caps in all formats of Cricket.

The Glorious Vettori Era in the International Cricket

• He played 113 tests and took 362 Wickets. He also played his part well as a lower order batsman scoring 4531 runs with 6 centuries and 23 fifties.
•  The former Kiwi skipper played 291 ODIs and picked up 302 Wickets. Vettori has also amassed 2213 runs with 4 half-centuries.
•  In the shorter format of the game; Vettori got 38 wickets and scored 205 runs at the 34 T20 clashes that he played.
•  Daniel Vettori is currently the most capped player from New Zealand in both tests and ODIs.

A Finest Cricketer with a Gifted Sportsman Spirit

What makes Vettori a different cricketer from the rest? Of course it is his politeness and ability to stay calm under pressure. You would never find him engaging in a verbal abuse with any other cricketer, nor will you ever find him shouting in the field.

He won ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2012 for his amazing sportsmanship. In one of such rare instances, the legendary left arm orthodox bowler didn’t appeal for a run-out against Zimbabwe, when he stopped a batsman running from the non striker’s end. The veteran cricketer later clarified that it is necessary to play the game in an ethical way and in its true spirit.

The grand finale of the ICC Cricket World Cup was the last international match played by this excellent human being. There were huge expectations from the Black Caps in the final as they had never won any editions of World cup before. However, the dream was shattered when New Zealand put up a nominal total on the scoreboard. Eventually Australia won the world cup, but fans can never forget Vettori’s contributions to New Zealand cricket. It was the determination and hard work of Daniel Vettori that Kiwis are a tougher team now.

Thank You Dan! Congrats and lots of best wishes to you for future.

Tags: Black Caps, Cricket, Daniel Vettori, ICC Cricket World Cup, International Cricket, New Zealand, World Cup