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Auckland leg-spinner Brooke Walker is today likely to replace injured New Zealand left-arm slow bowler Daniel Vettori to keep the Black Caps bowling attack balanced.Walker and Canterbury off-spinner Paul Wiseman are the two slow bowling stand-by players for Australia but Walker, 24, (four tests) takes the ball away from the right-handed bat, as Vettori does.Otherwise, the Black Caps would have two off-spinners if the more experienced Wiseman (14 tests) jopined Glen Sulzberger.Convenor of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee said a specific request had come yesterday from team management and the selectors agreed with their decision. He declined to elaborate.Vettori flies home tomorrow but team management hope his Australian tour is not over.Team manager Jeff Crowe said the prognosis was that Vettori would be out for four to six weeks, meaning he is still a possibility for the third test in Perth beginning on November 30.The left-armer was cleared of any broken bones after sustaining the injury on Sunday when fielding off his own bowling against ACT in Canberra. However, he was confirmed as having a slight ligament tear running across in front of the ankle.Vettori was back at Manuka Oval yesterday watching the mathc against the ACT invitational side head to a one innings draw.The 22-year-old had only just rejoined the Black Caps after re-injuring his back a year ago."It was a freakish accident," Crowe said. "He gave out a huge scream of pain, so he knew it was something pretty serious. I suppose we're lucky it's not his back and there's no break."He said the Black Caps were disappointed but pholsophical about his absence.Crowe said the New Zealanders were not taking too much notice of what local media had thought of their performaces in the two lead-up matches so far.In both matches, the tourists' attack had struggled to take wickets.The Australian newspaper yesterday headlined its report: "Vettori's exit reduces NZ to popgun attack.""We don't read the media," Crowe laughed."The fact is we just get on with our job."
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