Cricket: Vettori's test days are over

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

Daniel Vettori's days as a test cricketer appear over.

The 35-year-old is fit and ready to resume at the limited overs bowling crease after a sustained period of injury rehabilitation, but doubts he can continue to meet the requirements of test cricket.

"[Test cricket's] not at the forefront of my mind. I can't guarantee the amount of overs [required] to play a test match and don't want to get in way of Ish [Sodhi] and Mark [Craig] in their development. It's definitely on the back burner.

"The World Cup's the goal. Tests would put too much of a strain on the body at this stage of my career."

If Vettori's pronouncement proves true it will signal the end to one of test cricket's longest and finest careers; and with limited fanfare, just the way he prefers despite a record 112 tests (111 for New Zealand and one for the World XI).

His 360 wickets at 34.42 mean he's second on the New Zealand test list behind Sir Richard Hadlee's 431. Vettori's 4516 test runs means just he, Kapil Dev and Ian Botham have more than 4000 runs and 300 wickets.

Vettori hasn't categorically ruled out a come back but, with the Caribbean success of Craig and Sodhi, it will send a mixed message if he's ushered back into the test ranks on reputation alone.

No sporting champion makes their retirement decision lightly but Vettori will be reluctant to intervene given the efforts to bridge the chasm of his absence.

"It comes down to motivation, you need to work towards clear goals to make it easier," Vettori said.

For now, that is solely the World Cup.

The long run - other examples of test longevity

Bert Sutcliffe 18 years 72 days
Sir Richard Hadlee 17y 158d
John R Reid 15y 356d
Merv Wallace 15y 265d
Daniel Vettori 15y 175d
John Wright 15y 35d