Former New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori wants to return to the short form of the game at this year’s ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, officials said on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old spinner announced last year he was taking an indefinite break from one-dayers and T20 cricket to concentrate on his Test career after representing New Zealand in all forms of the game since 1997.
But New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said Vettori, the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler in 2009, had declared himself available for the September-October tournament.
“(He) is widely regarded as one of the best Twenty20 exponents in world cricket,” White said.
“His availability is a real boost for the Black Caps, with his style of bowling well suited to conditions in Sri Lanka.”
Chief selector Kim Littlejohn said Vettori wanted to participate in a world event and New Zealand Cricket was “thrilled” to have him back.
Vettori has taken 35 wickets at an average of 16.57 in T20 internationals.
In Tests, he has captured 359 wickets and scored 4486 runs, with his long-term target to become only the second player after India’s Kapil Dev to take 400 wickets and make 4000 runs.