Cricket: Vettori says players need to step up

Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

Daniel Vettori has called on his players to accept personal responsibility as the inquisition continues into the New Zealand cricket team's one-day series loss to Bangladesh.

The team arrived home from Dhaka to mounting calls for answers to the 4-0 series whitewash, a result which saw New Zealand's international one-day ranking fall from fourth to seventh.

New Zealand entered the series having lost to Bangladesh just once in 17 one-dayers but were outplayed by the hosts as the tourists' batsmen repeatedly struggled to combat Bangladesh's spin bowlers.

Vettori yesterday described the performances and results as indefensible, saying "everyone in the team knows how poor the results were and hopefully they're committed to trying to turn it around".

The fallout from the series is gathering pace, with Vettori, coach Mark Greatbatch and performance director Roger Mortimer to attend a New Zealand Cricket board meeting tomorrow, two days before the test team to tour India is named.

Vettori identified batting as his team's Achilles heel in Bangladesh, as they failed to get on top of a battery of left-arm spinners well versed in their home conditions.

Only Kane Williamson emerged with any credit among the batsmen after a maiden one-day century for his country in the fourth match, but the likes of Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and BJ Watling all regularly under-performed.

"We didn't learn from our mistakes and we didn't adapt to the conditions," Vettori told Radio Sport.

"Particularly our play of left-arm spin bowling left a lot to be desired and that's why were consistently in a hole of 60 for five in most games."

Questions have been asked about the individuals, structures and systems around the team, but Vettori considered that to be an irrelevance.

"Whatever system is put in place is irrelevant because it is up to the players to step up and make sure they're part of a winning team. That is my responsibility as captain, it ends with me as captain, I have to be in charge of a team which is winning games.

"We have had other systems in place, we tried other things when John Bracewell was the head coach and people revolted against that. Now people are starting to question my role as well.

"But if we get caught up in the systems we will go nowhere. It is up to the players to step up and do their jobs and it's up to me as captain to lead them in that manner."

Vettori, who has led the team since 2007, still plans to relinquish the captaincy after the World Cup starting in February in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, presumably to his deputy Taylor.

As the team's most experienced and leading player, his leadership role seems secure but Vettori acknowledged others might feel differently.

"I can see both sides of the argument. I would hate to leave the team in its darkest hour. I'd love the chance to lead this side out of it and hopefully be part of the solution.

"But if people above me think it's the right thing to do then I can see where they're coming from as well."

- NZPA