Vettori to work with emerging English spinners

Daniel Vettori has been roped in to work with the England Performance Programme spinners next month in Dubai. The former New Zealand left-arm spinner and captain will join the EPP batting and spin group, led by Andy Flower, for 10 days in November and work with Surrey allrounder Zafar Ansari, new Sussex signing Danny Briggs, Tom Westley (Essex) and Stephen Parry (Lancashire).

The squad has a heavy limited-overs emphasis ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, reflecting the strong emphasis that Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, is placing on the shorter game.

Some gesture to Test cricket can perhaps be seen in nthe fact that Ravi Patel (Middlesex), Will Beer (Sussex) and Matt Carter (Nottinghamshire) will also be a part of the squad in a net bowling capacity.

Vettori, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup this year, signed a three-year contract with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in April. He also coaches Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

"Daniel has been one of the most successful and respected spinners in world cricket for almost two decades, so we are delighted to add his considerable experience to the England Performance Programme this winter," Peter Such, the ECB's lead spin bowling coach, said. "I am sure that the players will benefit from working with him for the 10 days that he is with the EPP in November."

The appointment is the latest example of England bringing in an overseas coach to help plug a specific gap. Mahela Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka batsman who is acting as a consultant with England's Test squad in the UAE, said it was important to help young players learn about the game.

"Everyone has a different way of thinking and if you can learn from that it will enhance your game," he said. "Especially the juniors, because that is an investment that you put on to the table. This England group is quite young and I see them having another ten-year span - that's a good core group of guys you are working with. The more you invest in that, the better it is going to be for English cricket."

In a separate ECB placement scheme, legspinner Scott Borthwick will travel to New Zealand to play club cricket. He will also practice and train with Wellington, where he will be mentored by offspinner Jeetan Patel.

Twelve young English spinners will be travelling overseas this winter, either with England's Under-19s in Sri Lanka or on ECB-led placements to Australia and New Zealand. Warwickshire legspinner Josh Poysden and Glamorgan's Andrew Salter will play Grade cricket in Sydney, while Somerset's Jack Leach has been placed in Perth.

Such said ECB was looking to provide its spinners with more "match play" overs. "We are looking to expose our spinners to cricket overseas during the off season, for the experience of competing overseas, taking more personal responsibility and also to continue their development by bowling those much needed match play and practice overs," he said.