I want the ODI captaincy - Vettori

Daniel Vettori believes he can handle the pressure of New Zealand's one-day captaincy if he is given the responsibility. Vettori is the frontrunner to succeed Stephen Fleming, who led his country for more limited-overs games than any other player in history before resigning in the wake of another New Zealand World Cup semi-final loss.

Few bowlers have been handed the permanent leadership of their sides in recent years but Wasim Akram and Shaun Pollock had reasonable success, while Courtney Walsh, Waqar Younis and Heath Streak were also trusted. Vettori said his familiarity at the highest level put him in good stead.

"You've got to remember that, when you play more than 200 ODIs and 70 Tests, and have been on the scene for more than a decade, you've got a lot of experience to call on," Vettori told the Sunday Star Times. "People might question my captaincy experience for one reason or another, but I've been rubbing shoulders with captains for my entire career, I've been involved in the decision-making and I think I know what it takes."

Although he has not yet been chosen, Vettori is likely to get the job after guiding New Zealand through eight wins and three losses as the stand-in captain over the past three years. Fleming's would be big shoes to fill on a full-time basis - he has been the team's leader for Vettori's entire ODI career - but no decision is expected until the future of the coach, John Bracewell, is resolved. However, an appointment must be made in time for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September.

"I hope to get the job but I haven't heard anything about it as yet," Vettori said. "I guess they'll get the coaching issue sorted out first and everything will fall into place after that. I should feel confident but we've had a couple of months of downtime lately and - given that opportunity - people will always explore all their options and take time to look at the wider picture."

Should he be offered the role, Vettori would grab it enthusiastically but he knows the Twenty20 tournament would be a tough start to his tenure as he has played only one domestic Twenty20 match. "I'll need a bit of a refresher if I get the job, that's for sure," he said. "Twenty20 gives you a chance to work on key parts of your 50-over game, like death bowling and top-order batting, so it's always going to be a useful exercise."

Vettori, 28, made his international debut in 1996-97 aged 18 and believes the ODI captaincy would be a good way to keep himself motivated. "I've been playing top cricket for more than ten years and it's always been important to guard against becoming too comfortable and too satisfied with your lot," he said. "I need to keep striving and challenging myself, and I see the captaincy as a way to do that."