Cricket: Multi tasked Vettori scores unlikely ally

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori. Photo / APN

Dan is still the man. While the all-encompassing role of Daniel Vettori at the head of the Black Caps is coming under increased scrutiny as the team lurch from cringe to crisis in Bangladesh, he has received strong backing from an unlikely ally.

Former England captain and high profile commentator Tony Greig has no issue with Vettori's all-singing, all-dancing role and says absolute control is still the only way to go.

"I'm all for Daniel Vettori being totally in charge," says Greig. "I think he is the sort of bloke that handles it brilliantly.

"He is one of those guys who thrives on the workload and the involvement," says Greig. "He would have his nose out of joint if someone did something that he didn't agree with."

Since Andy Moles stepped down in October last year, Vettori has essentially assumed the mantle of player-coach, with Mark Greatbatch very much cast in a support role.

The 31-year-old remains a key bowler and, in the last two seasons, has become arguably the most consistent batsman.

Vettori is also on the three-man selection panel, and it is generally recognised in cricketing circles that his vote holds the most sway; and that the other selectors (Greatbatch and Glenn Turner) would never be able to pick a player the captain did not want.

"The captain has to have his team," agrees Greig. "Now and again you have to back off and won't always get your way but he is smart enough to realise that. As far as the extra load is concerned, if you like being captain, I don't see it as any great hardship. When you are batting or bowling you have to switch yourself off and focus on those skills. The captaincy works around all that kind of stuff.

"I don't think it is particularly harder than it used to be."

Before he joined Bill Lawry and Richie Benaud in the Channel Nine commentary box - and became somewhat obsessed with using his car keys to demonstrate the relative firmness of a pitch - Greig was an all-rounder and sometimes controversial captain.

He played 58 test matches between 1972 and 1977, scoring 3599 runs at an average of 40.43 and taking 141 wickets.

Within the stuffy confines of the English cricket establishment, Greig managed to assume almost complete control. Cricketing icons like Sir Alec Bedser and Sir Len Hutton were members of the selection committee but captain Greig had the casting vote.

"They would say, we want you to have the team you want and we will be inclined to give you your team," he recalls.

As far as coaching is concerned, Greig says it doesn't need to be complicated.

"My view is that we can overplay this. We didn't have all this back-up of today with bowling coaches, fielding coaches and the like. If someone had a bit of a problem we were all looking after him and passed on our knowledge."

Greig says Vettori does need to be careful with off-field demands and how he manages his time. "Off the field he has got a vice-captain to take care of some of the media demands, just as [Ricky] Ponting does with Michael Clarke."

Former Blacks Caps captain Mark Burgess disagrees with Greig's viewpoint. Burgess, who played 50 tests for New Zealand including 10 as skipper, feels the current structure is untenable.

"In my view, it makes no sense for the captain to be given all of those responsibilities, especially in the modern game.

"Vettori is a fantastic cricketer - and he strikes me as quite the intellectual - but I don't think having all of these responsibilities is giving him or the team the best chance of getting the best out of themselves. It must be a huge distraction from his main task which is to captain the side and bowl."

Burgess also questions the amount of support staff and says there needs to be more personal responsibility.

"I would remove half of those people. All it does is give the players more crutches and more reasons to find someone else to blame. It also detracts from their ability to come to grips with the fact they are extremely lucky; it is a huge honour to be playing for your country and you should be doing everything to make the most of your talents."

Burgess was a dual international and once played football for New Zealand against Manchester United, facing legends like George Best and Bobby Charlton. He feels cricket could take a lesson from football.

"A premier league manager has to manage a mix of high talent with significant egos and different levels of intellect," says Burgess. "Their job is to help the players get the best out of themselves; that is how I see the cricket coach working best."

Bangladesh who had never won two consecutive ODIs against a major nation before Monday, now have chalked up a hat-trick. Burgess says there needs to be changes.

"If they continue with [the current structure]then whoever is at the top of New Zealand cricket needs to be looked at and maybe replaced. It's crazy."