Vettori hopeful of Bond boost

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has plenty of issues on his mind at the moment with a string of injuries hitting the side at the ICC World Twenty20, but the availability of Shane Bond in the near future could help ease the burden.

When New Zealand suffer a run of injuries such as the have felt during the Twenty20 it highlights how much they need their best players available. But while Vettori, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum have all struggled in recent weeks, the return of Bond to the international stage is an enticing prospect.

Bond, who hasn't played for New Zealand in 18 months, has ended his links with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and New Zealand Cricket have said that any player who severs their ties with the league will be available for selection again.

"I'm not sure officially if he [Bond] has handed in his [ICL] contract as well but I understand that was the plan," Vettori said. "So he'll become available for New Zealand probably after his tournament."

New Zealand's next international action after the World Twenty20 is a tour of Sri Lanka and Bond's pace would be a major boost to the bowling attack and Vettori added his return would be welcome.

"Once again if you take the emotion out of the argument in terms of how good a player Shane Bond is and look at his facts, if he's fit and ready to come back into the side, his record says what a great player he is, so we'll love to have him back."

Along with Bond, pace bowler Daryl Tuffey has also terminated his ICL contract and is likely to come under consideration for a recall.

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, was the first ICL player to return to international cricket when he was called up for the World Twenty20 as an injury replacement for Yasir Arafat. He made his comeback against New Zealand, at The Oval, with the impressive figures of 2 for 17.