Cricket: Task to stay sharp as Vettori recovers

No Dan Vettori, but no alarms. That should be the outcome of New Zealand's penultimate group game at the World Cup against Canada at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium tomorrow.

When allrounder and captain Vettori tumbled awkwardly, damaged his knee and had to be helped as he left the field early in the win over Pakistan on Wednesday morning, things looked grim.

The words "cruciate" and "ligament" were mentioned. When used in that order they give sporting athletes nightmares. Instead, after an MRI scan and further assessment, the injury to Vettori's knee has been diagnosed as a mild strain.

"The best-case scenario is a week to 10 days," Vettori said yesterday. "I really want to play the Sri Lankan game." That is seven days away, so it is likely to be touch and go.

If there is any doubt about his readiness the smart move would be sitting it out to prepare for the quarter-finals, which start on March 23.

For now, Vettori's misfortune is likely to mean an opportunity for either left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock - if the tour selectors, coach John Wright and Vettori, favour a like-for-like switch tomorrow - or fast-medium Hamish Bennett.

The players should be setting all expectations for the Canada game aside. If New Zealand assume the game to be a doddle, someone should roar loudly in their ears: "Ireland!"

Their stunning win over England turned Group B, if not on its head, then at least rather skew-wiff and could yet have quarter-final repercussions.

Canada beat Kenya on Tuesday morning in the battle of the Group A lightweights but New Zealand should still win easily.

It is worth noting that in the tournament statistics Canadian Jimmy Hansra averages 35.5 from 142 runs - more than five of the world's best, Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka, India's Gautam Gambhir, West Indian Chris Gayle and also New Zealand pair Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor.

Medium pacer Harvir Baidwan has taken nine wickets at 20.22 apiece, while portly legspinner Balaji Rao has nabbed seven at 27.28 each. These are respectable figures.

Canada have the tournament's youngest player in 16-year-old Nitish Kumar, and the oldest in the 40-years-young John Davison. But Australian-born Davison is a stripling compared with the oldest in Cup history: 47-year-old Barbadian Nolan Clarke, who played for the Netherlands 15 years ago.

The tournament has a forgiving format. A win over Canada will ensure New Zealand finish in the top four and qualify for the last eight. However, the higher teams finish the better their quarter-final chances - at least in theory.

Put simply, finish fourth in Group A and New Zealand would most likely face one of the two favourites, India or South Africa, for a spot in the semi-finals. End up second and they might get the West Indies or injury-hit England.

No prizes for guessing which passage New Zealand would prefer.

NZ v Canada

* Mumbai, 5pm tomorrow

* New Zealand: (from) Ross Taylor (c), Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, James Franklin, Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Luke Woodcock, Kane Williamson, Hamish Bennett.

* Canada: (from) Ashish Bagai (c), Ruvindru Gunasekera, Rizwan Cheema, Zubin Surkari, Jimmy Hansra, Tyson Gordon, John Davison, Harvir Baidwan, Parth Desai, Henry Osinde, Balaji Rao, Khurram Chohan, Nitish Kumar, Hiral Patel, Karl Whatham.by David Leggat

Live scoring: nzherald.co.nz/cricket