Cricket World Cup: Ex-Black Caps star Daniel Vettori a winner with ...

Eighteen months after being appointed, former Black Caps star Daniel Vettori played a key role in Australia capturing the World Cup.

The side’s bowling coach shared the stage with the tournament victors in Ahmedabad on Monday morning (NZ time) after their six-wicket victory over favourites India.

Vettori was part of the New Zealand XI which lost the 2015 World Cup final to Australia in Melbourne – his fifth and final ODI World Cup campaign.

The 44-year-old had earlier in the tournament praised the ability and attitude of legspinner Adam Zampa, who finished the Cup as the second-highest wicket-taker with 23 victims – the most by a spin bowler in World Cup history at a single tournament.

Zampa took 1-44 from his 10 overs in the final as India were dismissed for 240 batting first, to complete an outstanding campaign, which got off to a difficult start with returns of 0-53 (eight overs) against India and 1-70 versus South Africa as Australia lost their first two games at the Cup.

“It was obviously a very difficult start through injuries and illness to be able to actually play,” Vettori told Cricket.com about Zampa.

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Australia bowling coach Daniel Vettori during a nets session at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India.

“His control of his length has been the best that I've seen in this period of time, particularly through those three games where he took four wickets in a row, and then against England, his length of control.

“We all know the skills and the variations, but his ability to actually just land the ball on the spot time and time again gave most teams limited opportunities to attack him.

“It is all about the length of control for him, because all the other skills are there. But when you combine that with that aspect of the game as well, he's almost unplayable.”

Vettori, who is New Zealand’s leading ODI wicket-taker in history with 297, and third on the all-time test list with 361 wickets, joined coach Andrew McDonald in the Australian set-up in May 2022, following the exit of previous coach Justin Langer.

He’d previously been head coach in the Indian Premier League from 2014-18 with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, had guided the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and been the spin bowling coach for the Bangladesh national side.

Vettori told the Times of India during the World Cup that the Australian side was always a daunting proposition to play against during his career.

"I think [my] experience against them [was that], you're always coming up against quality players. So, the fact that you saw those players in front of you, there was some trepidation around that.

"You knew that they had that group of match winners that could win the game. And I think that's the same here [with the current team]. The bowling group is so experienced and so skilful.”

Vettori will return to the IPL next season as head coach for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, replacing West Indian legend Brian Lara, while he was head coach of the Birmingham Phoenix men's team in the Hundred competition in England.

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The Australian players and staff celebrate with the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup trophy following their win over India in the final in Ahmedabad.

The former left-arm spinner also had praise for Glenn Maxwell’s offspin, which saw the allrounder claim six wickets while conceding just 4.81 runs per over throughout the successful campaign. He made Australia’s initial breakthrough in the final, having Indian opener and captain Rohit Sharma caught for 47 after hitting the two previous balls for six and four.

“I think he's a very willing bowler and sometimes that can be the hardest part of being an all-rounder, that even though you do have the skills, the desire is not always there. And Max, he loves bowling. And he loves the strategy that goes into it, probably like with his batting,” Vettori said.

“I think you see a bowler that's evolved over the last few years. And I think he's been able to, in particular, start to bowl over the wicket to right-handers, which sort of went out of fashion for a period of time. I think it's his ability to almost get near top spin and challenge the stumps the whole time from round and over the wicket.

“He's an extremely confident bowler because of all the work he puts in and how skilful and intelligent he is.”