Daniel Vettori's days as a test cricketer appear over.
The 35-year-old is fit and ready to resume at the limited overs bowling crease after a sustained period of injury rehabilitation, but doubts he can continue to meet the requirements of test cricket.
"[Test cricket's] not at the forefront of mymind. I can't guarantee the amount of overs [required] to play a test match and don't want to get in way of Ish [Sodhi] and Mark [Craig] in their development. It's definitely on the back burner.
"The World Cup's the goal. Tests would put too much of a strain on the body at this stage of my career."
If Vettori's pronouncement proves true it will signal the end to one of test cricket's longest and finest careers; and with limited fanfare, just the way he prefers despite a record 112 tests (111 for New Zealand and one for the World XI).
His 360 wickets at 34.42 mean he's second on the New Zealand test list behind Sir Richard Hadlee's 431. Vettori's 4516 test runs means just he, Kapil Dev and Ian Botham have more than 4000 runs and 300 wickets.
Vettori hasn't categorically ruled out a come back but, with the Caribbean success of Craig and Sodhi, it will send a mixed message if he's ushered back into the test ranks on reputation alone.
No sporting champion makes their retirement decision lightly but Vettori will be reluctant to intervene given the efforts to bridge the chasm of his absence.
