A tribute to Daniel Vettori on his 38th birthday
Daniel Vettori, one of the greatest players to have ever represented New Zealand cricket turns 38 on January 27th, 2017. During his playing days, he was highly respected for his humbleness and the style of play. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, not known for prodigious turn but for accuracy and change in pace that brought him a huge amount of success in a career that spanned over 18 years.
He was born in Auckland in the year 1979 to an Italian origin father and a Kiwi mother and holds the distinction of being the first cricketer of Italian descent to don New Zealand colours. He is also one of the very few cricketers who played with spectacles, especially in the modern era.
As he celebrates his 38th birthday, we take a look at some of the highlights of his cricketing career.
#1 Youngest Kiwi to make his debut
Vettori made his Test debut for New Zealand in February 1997 against England in Wellington at the age of 18 which made him the youngest player to represent the nation. It was not a merry start for the lefty as his team lost by an innings and 8 runs. He had figures of 98/2 in 34.3 overs in the only innings that the Kiwis bowled; Nasser Hussain being his first victim in international cricket.
Two months later, he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Christchurch. Again, he did not taste victory as the visitors lost by 6 wickets. Despite the losses, a hero had arrived that took New Zealand cricket to new heights. The world had seen in him the ability to not concede many runs and pick up wickets with consistency.