Defining the greats of the game is not an easy task. Arguably, greatness can be temporary, reliant only on time, context and memory yet true greatness reaches down through generations.
It is now time to acknowledge that Dan Vettori deserves this status.
How do we define greatness? Glory, nobility, illustriousness and immortality are just a few alternatives offered by the Collins online Thesaurus.
Unanswerable questions, as with all subjective judgments, “greatness” can only be confined to the observers own perception and era.
Temperament over cold hard statistics often dictates when we define “greatness”, but when is it, that sheer weight of numbers defines a cricketer as “great”?
Here’s what we know about Dan Vettori: he is the youngest player to have represented New Zealand in Test cricket, having made his debut in 1996–97 at the age of 18. He is New Zealand’s leading one-day wicket taker and is only one of eight cricketers to have managed the double of 300 Test wickets and 3000 Test runs.
One of the game’s most durable players as a bowler, batter, fielder and captain, Vettori’s roles never fail to lift a nation that constantly needs inspiration, yet the frustration in playing in an underachieving team never seems to affect Vettori.
Edging towards a couple of significant milestones that will define his Test career, if Vettori’s wicket-taking pace of 3.3 wickets per match continues, he will surpass Richard Hadlee’s 431-wicket mark during New Zealand’s home series against the West Indies in 2013-14.
With 4389 Test runs and 356 wickets, he is also fast closing on Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev’s unique territory as the only Test cricketer to score more than 5000 runs and take more than 400 wickets.
Of the cricketers who have inspired millions to watch or take up the game, Lara, Warne, Muralitharan and Tendulkar are often the names thrown up in conversations when we talk about the greats of the game, where does Vettori fit in?
The fact Dan Vettori has gone about his business in an unassuming, yet inspiring manner, hasn’t helped his cause when we define the greats so I’m here to set the record straight.
The stats, for once, tell the unequivocal truth. Daniel Luca Vettori, humble, steadfast, honest Dan Luca Vettori, is one of the most admired cricketers to pull on a pair of whites.
Vettori knows his game better than anyone going around, he has the heart of an ox and continues to treat the game with respect, yet has any other globally renowned cricketer ever been quite so anonymous?
If this hasn’t convinced only one of you of Vettori’s standing in the game, I surrender.
Evan Askew
Guest
Overall a great player because of the sum of his parts. But if he was a bowler alone he would be merely a very good player and if he was a batsman alone he would be an average player and indeed his test career wouldn't have lasted so long. But his contributions as a bowler and batsman make him a great player. The other thing to condider too is the fact that since the 80's with the better preparation of test pitches it is a lot more difficult to pick up wickets and none more so than a finger spinner as you can't impart as much spin as a leg spinner and you can't rely on a sticky wicket to pick up a haul like say Laker did against the Aussies in 1956 or Derek Underwood did against the Aussies with a rain affected pitch at the oval in 1968 and with the fusarium pitch at Leeds in 1972. Pretty much every wicket Vettori has got has being because of his talent and temperament.
Rugby realist
Guest
I love Vettori, but he isnt a great of the game the way the others you mentioned are, or at the level of Hadlee or Crowe. One of the great ODI bowlers, he isnt quite potent enough to be a test great of the game. NZ great yes, and hugely admired and liked player, but not an all time great
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Vettori never gives in. Fleming was tops too. Shoulda got more 100s. Certainly AB was the man.
Rhys
Guest
The thing about Hadlee and Vettori is that both carried more than their share of weight in, what for the most part, has been an understrength Black Caps Test team. That's not to say NZ don't punch above their collective weight at times, but their reliance (or over reliance) on the likes of Hadlee and Vettori does credit to both players having endured in the game for so long. In recent times (last 30 years) the only Australian player I can think of who has taken on the 'lone beacon' role with relentless gusto was Allan Border (though Mike Hussey has done a pretty good imitation at times). There is something special to admire in players who stand tall while all about them carnage occurs.
Jason
Guest
Longevity alone doesn't make for greatness. He's a fine cricketer, no doubt. No great though.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Hi Shane. Thanks for the reminder, but I'd been giving due respect to Dan The Man for years. Definitely a Kiwi cricketing legend.
Cameron
Guest
There was an article the other day in the NZ Herald proclaiming him and Chris Cairns as amongst the greatest all rounders ever.
Happy Hooker
Guest
No doubt about it, Daniel Vettori is a handy cricketer
Purple Shag
Roar Guru
Sounds like you're about ready to slip one down legside.
formeropenside
Guest
Yeah, Vettori is good enough to be a Queenslander.