Vettori accepts Test career may be over

Daniel Vettori, New Zealand's most capped Test player, has accepted that his playing days in the longest format are virtually over. Due to a series of injuries, he hasn't played a Test in more than two years, and he has now set his sights on the World Cup at home.

"[Test cricket's] not at the forefront of my mind," he told the Herald on Sunday. "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."

Almost all the cricket that the 35-year-old Vettori has played in 2014 has been with Twenty20 franchises, with Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League and with Brisbane Heat in Australia's Big Bash. He also coached Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL this year. He hasn't played one-day cricket since June 2013, but has turned out for Northern Districts in four first-class matches last season.

"The World Cup's the goal. Tests would put too much of a strain on the body at this stage of my career."

Vettori hopes to be picked for the home one-day series against South Africa next month as New Zealand start a summer that culminates in the World Cup.

He has 360 Test wickets, behind only Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders, and 4516 runs making him the sixth highest Test run-getter from his country.