A legspinner has one of the toughest jobs in cricket, not only must he take wickets but he must hope that his captain is a player prepared to put his faith in the value of spin bowling as an attacking weapon. Brooke Walker had that advantage in Auckland - he captained his side to three domestic championships in New Zealand - but he did not had the same fortune at the international level where, generally, opportunities only came if Vettori was not able to play, or on the rare occasion when he needed some support. Walker, like many spinners in New Zealand, might have done better with more spinner-friendly surfaces to give him the chance for longer spells of bowling in domestic cricket to push his case for more international opportunities. With little chance of another recall to the New Zealand side, Walker finally announced his retirement from all cricket in June 2005.
Lynn McConnell