At 36, he will coach the team this summer after an outstanding 17-year Test career for New Zealand. The left-arm finger spinner played 113 Tests, taking 362 wickets at 34 and finishing with a fine batting average of 30.
When you made your Test debut, there was a famous back page headline: “But he’s only 18’’. How did it feel?
There is no expectation about being selected when you are 18 and have two first-class games under your belt. In some ways that is a good thing ... when it does come, it is pure surprise and elation. I look back on that with fond memories. I wasn’t nervous, just really excited.
As a kid you were probably up for anything?
Yes, because I was so young there wasn’t probably any pressure on my performance. I was not expected to do anything amazing straight away. I knew they were looking at me as a project.
You didn’t seem to go through the extreme highs and lows that many young players do. Why was that?
The first 100 wickets were a relatively stress-free ride. After that I had a few injuries and a downturn of form. I was not living up to my potential with the bat. Then on the back of improving my batting, my bowling came along as well and I had my most enjoyable time in cricket.
You averaged an honourable 30 as a Test batsman. Which bowler gave you the most problems?
(Muttiah) Muralitharan. I still haven’t picked him and I played with him at Bangalore, where I faced him in the nets. I didn’t know what was going on. He helped me develop a sweep shot because that was the only shot I could play against him. He’s a great man.
What about the toughest batsman you bowled to?
From a technical perspective I really struggled with Rahul Dravid. He is so good at judging length. From a destructive point of view, Adam Gilchrist. He never took a backward step and he was always a daunting prospect as a left-arm spinner.
You got the nickname Harry Potter. What did you make of that?
Australia was the only place I got that nickname. All the Victorian boys call me worse, so I suppose I take it as a slight compliment and a term of affection.
Which Victorian guys?
Guys like Andrew McDonald and Dirk Nannes, who I have played with in the IPL.
Given you were called Harry Potter did your bowling have magical gifts?
I think most people know I did not turn it that far. If it had magic about it, I would have turned it a lot more.
What about your Italian heritage. There must be relatives in Italy who suddenly found themselves following cricket?
My father was born in Italy but he moved to New Zealand when he was seven or eight. My grandparents did not understand the game until I started playing and then they became experts. They loved it and it was nice that I got the chance to play for a few years before they passed away. They really enjoyed having the Vettori name out there.
A young Vettori during net practice in 1999.Source:AP
What made you sign up as Brisbane Heat coach?
Purely from my playing days here, I knew everyone and I enjoyed the attitude of the team and off-field staff. I really enjoyed being in Brisbane so it made it a pretty easy decision.
You are quite young for a coach. Do you have to be cautious about keeping a distance from the players?
It is something you always have to keep an eye on, the fact that you have played with so many guys. It is different to playing with them than the coach-player role but I think the fact I played for so long, and have a good understanding of what makes a good and bad coach, I can draw on that experience.
Did any coach particularly leave a mark on you?
I really enjoyed (former New Zealand coach) John Bracewell. He is a guy who motivated me to become better.
What do you make of New Zealand’s chances against Australia this summer?
I think they will be pretty confident. When you look at that bowling attack and the batting of (Ross) Taylor and (Kane) Williamson, I think they have a good chance. The player to keep an eye on is Mark Craig, the spinner. He will revel in these conditions and will learn a lot from watching Nathan Lyon. It will be a good summer.
Your mates started the Beige Brigade, a nod to New Zealand’s infamous beige one-day uniforms. They must be an interesting crew.
They are pretty full on. Funny, funny guys. They are a couple of guys from school. They have gone on to do some really cool things. They are doing alternative commentary on the rugby World Cup and did that all through the cricket World Cup.
Did you treasure it or put it quietly in the bottom drawer?
I am not sure I treasured it but I thought it was pretty cool. For a one-off occasion, it was special and harked back to the halcyon days of New Zealand cricket.
How obsessed is New Zealand about the rugby World Cup?
I have been out of the country for almost all of it but I feel sorry for All Black fans, because it is a relief when we win and consternation when we lose. It’s lucky the team seems to win all the time. The expectation on the team is amazing and the fact they live up to them make them even more impressive.
You seem a reserved character. Do you ever lose it?
I don’t think lose it is the right word. But I think I have a different persona than the one I portray in the media. Guys who know me know I am pretty relaxed but at times, when it is required, I feel like I can deliver a less reserved message.
You had a great career as a left-arm finger spinner, yet no Australian left-arm finger spinner has taken more than 90 wickets in Tests. Can you put that down to anything?
The fact that there has been some impressive off-spinners and some great leg-spinners has usurped opportunities for left-arm spinners ... the hardest role in cricket is the right-arm off-spinner. You have had three of the best leg-spinners of all time — Warne, MacGill and Benaud — and they took up a lot of Test matches.
What did you make of your career?
There were times when I thought I was a good player and times when I thought I wasn’t. Like all cricketers I had doubts but when you have a chance to step back, I was proud to be able to play for so long.
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