By RICHARD BOOCK
Daniel Vettori is confident tonight's long-awaited return to international cricket will be more successful than his last.
The world's leading left-arm spinner is set to provide a welcome boost to the troubled New Zealand team when he returns from injury in the opening one-day match against Sri Lanka.
The youngest spin-bowler in the world to take 100 test wickets, Vettori had no sooner achieved the feat when he was struck down by a back injury last summer, missing the final test against Australia, before convalescing over the winter months.
He returned for the tour to Africa in September, but injured his back again during his comeback test in Bulawayo.
Since then, however, he has apparently pleased New Zealand Cricket medical staff so much with his second recovery that he has been cleared to play a fortnight earlier than expected.
Vettori, who turned 22 on Saturday, says nothing much has changed in terms of his bowling, although he has had to make way for more routine work in terms of a specific fitness programme, in which weights, circuit work and certain exercises have been required.
As a result, he has improved his strength and size, and a fitter, and slightly heavier Vettori will be ready to run on McLean Park this afternoon.
"I feel bigger and stronger and I'm definitely a bit heavier," he said after training yesterday.
"The fitness regime hasn't exactly been the highlight of my cricket.
"But I've realised I have to do all that stuff if I want to stay on the field.
"The bottom line was that I just had to do a lot more fitness work.
"I paid a lot of attention to my abdominal muscles, some of which directly support your lower spine.
"If you can keep them strong, it takes pressure off your back and then it's not doing all the work."
Vettori has taken 51 wickets in 56 ODIs since making his debut in the 1995-96 season, and his economy rate of 4.66 only underlines his value to the New Zealand side
He was eased back into cricket with the Northern Districts B side this summer, was promoted to the Shell Cup team after suffering no ill-effects, and was generally happy with the way the ball was coming out of his hand by the time that competition ended.
"I feel pretty good with my bowling," he said.
"I was a bit expensive in the last two Shell Cup games, but I felt I bowled all right.
"For me, it's just a feel thing, a rhythm thing, and I think I've got it back a lot quicker than expected.
"I haven't had to change anything. I talked to a lot of experts and they felt my action was all right, and there was no benefit in making any changes. They were reasonably happy with it."
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