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It says much for the talent and persona of Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand left-arm spin-bowler, that his choice for the second Test against England at Wellington last February still maintained a place in the headlines, against stiff opposition.
It was during that Test that Chris Cairns and Adam Parore were put on the mat for what politely might be called "extra-curricular" activities.
It was after that Test that Lee Germon was summarily sacked as captain of New Zealand and replaced as leader by Stephen Fleming.
Yet through all the murck evidence that New Zealand cricket is the dead-eye-dick of the international game when it comes to shooting itself in the foot, the arrival of the 18-year-old, long-haired Vettori cane like a breath of the purest, coollest summer air.
The young man's left-arm spinning talent had already been recognised in the New Zealand Youth side in England in 1996, and even before that the wise heads in Northern Districts cricket were saying that Vettori would be a better player than Matthew Hart, the slow left-armer who at that time held the Test position.
I was immediately impressed with Vettori's calmness, his maturity, his clear vision of his future as a cricketer and perhaps eventually as an academic. Someone more familiar with the jargon of the moment described Vettori as "a cool dude".
This immediately showed through in his bowling against England.
He had already had a taste of the Englishmen when he bowled for Northern Districts against the, sending a clutch of British cricket writers off to their lap-tops to announce they had discovered a new and rare talent.
The Vettori hair has been trimmed a little since, but the promise is still there.
He almost bowled New Zealand to victory in the third test of the series against England. More recently in Zimbabwe, Vettori took a six-wicket bag from the two innings of the second Test, and showed himself as a hand one-day operator as well.
He still oozes confidence, as if he has not yet become too concerned that cricket mught be a difficult game.
There are also hints that the Vettori batting may become a useful asset. He scored 90 batting at No.9 in the first innings of the second Test at harare, playing a large part in lifting New Zealand past the follow-on mark.
In the third one-day international, after the top-order had at last brought in 250-plus runs, Vettori whacked his first ball for six, with a curious rather cross-batted hoick not yet desribed in the best coaching books.
Vettori is a very pleasent and uncomplicated young man - I hope no-one spoils it all, and tells him that playing cricket well is unpleasent and complicated.
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