-
Black Caps fast bowler Shane Bond - Source: Photosport -
Related
Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori backs Shane Bond to be snapped up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Tuesday night. However, he isn't so sure about Lou Vincent's chances.
Bond and Vincent, along with follow New Zealander's Nathan McCullum and Grant Elliot, are vying with 62 other players to be among the lucky few to be picked up by one of the eight franchises.
Only 10 players are expected to be bought in the auction overnight as a number of the franchises have either reached, or are close to, their maximum quota of 10 international players.
However Vettori, who on Wednesday morning left Auckland airport to play for his adopted Queensland side in the Australian domestic Twenty20 League against Victoria in a preliminary final, is adamant that Bond, who has a reserve price of US$100,000, will join him in the IPL this season.
"I pretty sure Shane will get picked up, Vettori told ONE News.
"He is a pretty exciting prospect for the other sides."
The 33-year-old fast bowler, who retired from Test cricket last month, should be an attractive proposition for a number of IPL teams given they will not be in the frame for duty during the Test series against Australia, a series that overlaps with the IPL.
Furthermore, out of all the fast bowlers on the IPL auction list Bond has by far the best credentials. The 7th ranked ICC ODI bowler remains one of the best strike weapons in world cricket. His main challenges should come from West Indies speedster Kemar Roach and Australian revelation Doug Bollinger.
In form Auckland opening batsman and former Black Cap Lou Vincent, who is the HRV Cup's leading run-scorer with 253 runs at an average of 43, is also tipped to come into consideration but Vetttori isn't so sure.
"It should be interesting I suppose with Lou coming off the ICL and how they take to players from there but it's just one of those things that we'll sit back and wait and see," Vettori said.
It's a curious comment from Vettori, after all any prejudice against Vincent because of his ICL affiliations should surly impact Bond's chances as well.
The New Zealand captain and selector also remains coy about Vincent's chances of a recall to the Black Caps set-up for the Bangladesh series.
"We (the selectors) have a meeting in a few days so we'll go through all that stuff and anyone who is in form is obviously in contention, he said.
When probed further about whether Vincent would be discussed at the selectors meeting Vettori said, with a true poker face: "I expect so."
