Auckland, Mar 5(ANI): New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori is a doubtful starter for the second game of the five-match Chappell-Hadlee ODI series against Australia in Auckland on Saturday after failing to recover from a neck strain.
Vettori completed a fielding session at Eden Park, but felt discomfort trying to bat and pulled out of training, not even trying to have a bowl.
It is a blow for the Black Caps, who lead the series one-nil after their two-wicket victory in Napier.
"I got through the fielding session well but I didn't bat today (Friday) so I'm just going to leave it until the last possible minute. I've had this injury for about 13 years. It flares up and down occasionally," Fox Sports quoted Vettori, as saying.
"I'm just hoping I wake up feeling good in the morning," he added.
The New Zealand team is already without all-rounder Jacob Oram, who has been ruled out of the series due to a knee injury.
Oram injured his left knee while fielding in the opening game of the series, and a scan revealed a partial tear of the patella tendon, which gives him no chance of returning at any stage of the five-match series.
Meanwhile, when asked about the Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson's head butt with New Zealand batsman Scott Styris during Wednesday's opening ODI at McLean Park in Napier, Vettori said: "We're going to make sure we try to play it in the right spirit of the game without crossing that line."
"A lot of people enjoy that intensity. We've just got to make sure it doesn't go too far. It's the responsibility of both teams and both captains to make sure it doesn't happen," he added. (ANI)
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