Threat of short-form domestic leagues underlined as highly rated bowling mentor pulled towards Sunrisers roles
Daniel Vettori’s franchise T20 commitments could rob Australia of time with one of their most valued mentors during their demanding run of games over the next 12 months.
Vettori, absent from the ongoing Bangladesh Test series due to its clash with the Hundred in the UK where he is head coach of Sunrisers Leeds, is understood to be facing a reduced role with the Australian group he has been an assistant with for the past four years.
In that time, the former New Zealand captain has also balanced his head coaching role with the Pat Cummins-captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. In November 2024, Vettori was permitted to leave the Border Gavaskar Trophy series opener in Perth to attend the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia.
The Black Caps’ greatest Test spinner has been an important sounding board for senior players, playing a key role in mentoring fast and slow bowlers, and Australia are eager to retain him in some capacity.
But his value on the franchise circuit is growing too. “I’ve enjoyed him a lot,” Sunrisers Leeds captain Harry Brook told Cricinfo recently. “He’s very chilled. And yeah, he’s got a good cricket brain.”
Vettori’s dual franchise and national roles are unique in world cricket and his time has been stretched further since being appointed director of cricket of a third Sunrisers franchise, Sunrisers Eastern Cape. They play in South Africa’s T20 league, which runs through January-February next year and overlaps with Australia’s five-Test tour of India.
It is believed Australia remain hopeful Vettori can stay involved in major campaigns over 2026-27, in which time they will also face South Africa and England in away Tests, New Zealand at home, before defending their ODI World Cup title.
Another ex-Kiwi international in James Franklin has been recently appointed to a full-time role under head coach Andrew McDonald, as has former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade in a white-ball batting role.
Michael di Venuto and Andre Borovec remain as assistants across formats specialising in batting and fielding respectively. Adam Griffith was appointed by Cricket Australia to a new national pace bowling coach last year and occasionally tours with the national side.
Australia have also called in the likes of Mike Hussey and Mark Cosgrove on a short-term basis for home Tests in recent years.
The prospect of a decreased role of Vettori is a further sign that domestic T20 leagues are draining not only the best players from international cricket, but also some of the leading coaches.
That was evident earlier this year when Andy Flower, who has worked with Australia under McDonald on the India Test tour, Ashes series and ODI World Cup in 2023, was touted as one of England’s preferred candidates to take over from Brendon McCullum as Test coach.
But Flower revealed he told the ECB he was “very happy” with leading back-to-back IPL winners Royal Challengers Bangalore and London Spirit in the Hundred.
“It’s interesting that Andy Flower was the person that (England) were looking at going towards, and then he’s declined because of his franchise commitments,” McDonald told radio station SEN last month.
“So maybe coaches are very similar to players in that franchise versus country narrative, and whether you can attract the best coaches at the right time into international cricket.”
England subsequently hired Stephen Fleming, another former NZ captain, after he ended a 17-year stint coaching IPL outfit Chennai Super Kings.
NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series
First Test: Bangladesh beat Australia by nine wickets in Darwin
Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Musfik Hasan
