Tuffey almost back from injury

Daryl Tuffey should be ready to bowl before the end of the month, as his recovery from a shoulder injury progresses. Tuffey, who was sent home from the World Cup when he sustained the problem in March, said he was focusing on a potential international return at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September.

"The arm is pretty good," Tuffey told the Waikato Times. "If I needed to bowl I could be bowling but they [New Zealand Cricket] don't want me to take any chances." He said he should be "in the mix" for the Twenty20 squad, and if selected it would be a good way to ease back in with short matches.

Tuffey also voiced his support for his Northern Districts team-mate, Daniel Vettori, who is a strong chance to be made New Zealand's new one-day captain after the resignation of Stephen Fleming. Tuffey said the two had different perspectives on the field.

"I've been under both of them and I found they are kind of different," he said. "Flem is a batsman so comes from that mentality and Dan is a bowler. I think Dan's a fine captain. He will make a fine one-day captain from what I witnessed with him at ND."