Daniel Vettori has made a lot of his ’strategic advantages’.   He is all over our TV screens advertising glasses, sorry, eyewear. He runs like the man with the shortest hamstrings in the world, but manages to roll in off 6-8 paces and bamboozle the world’s best batsman. He swings a bat like he has the fear of god he will drop it, but is now among the greatest all rounders in the history of the game.

But has it all gone too far now?  The New Zealand cricket team is in danger of looking like one of those teams at primary school where there was one guy (I am thinking of you Brett McCormack) who was captain, opened the bowling, opened the batting and made sure he was under every skied shot.

Vettori is hugely talented, and has a remarkable cricket brain.  He has, literally, grown up as an international cricketer. He knows cricket, in all of its forms, better than almost anyone in New Zealand.  But, to state the obvious, taking on the roles of selector and part time coach will have to lead to burn-out.  I actually like the idea of a captain on the field who is fully in charge. One of the sad things about a sport like American Football is the way everything is scripted by coaches.  But there is a limit.

New Zealand cricket is in an interesting place.  We are not in the glory days of the 80s, but equally we are not throwing players like Robert Kennedy or Kerry Walmsley to the lions.  There is a core of experience and  some good young players coming through, watch out for Kane Williamson this year. What is needed now in my view is some patience, and a structure built around Dan and the boys that takes some pressure off them. Fundamentally this means a coach (or coaching staff) who Dan and the senior players respect, and strong management. It was clear Andy Moles was not providing that, and I am not sure about Dave Currie either. Clearly John Wright should figure in thefuture, but he will not be the only answer. Perhaps Rixon on a short term contract until someone like Mike Hesson from Otago is ready.

Whatever the case, we have a summer with both Pakistan and the Aussies to deal with, and Dan will be mighty tired by the end of it. Especially if he insists on rolling the pitch every morning.