Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori feels he does not miss captaining the Kiwis and that he is ready to support new leader Ross Taylor in whatever way he can.
Vettori had relinquished the captaincy after the World Cup while also retiring from ODIs and Twenty20 internationals, and in his first Test as non-captain since December 2006, he was Man of the Match in New Zealand’s 34-run win over Zimbabwe by eight wickets in Bulawayo recently with crucial runs down the order.
"Not being involved in all that; I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's nice to just be with the family and have the phone off the hook a little bit more than normal," he told APNZ.
"That's continued on to playing and just being able to concentrate on my own game. I still hope I'm helpful to Ross and some of the younger guys in the team and able to pass on some knowledge, but it's not sitting up all night or during the day thinking about other players and what you need to do for them and how to improve the team."
Vettori, 32, said he was eager to help Taylor develop his own brand of leadership.
"I talked to him maybe two or three times (about tactics) during the Test match," he said. "I think Ross has a really good grasp of the game and also a good grasp of my bowling, which is the most integral part of my relationship with him on the field.
"He did a lot of things I wouldn't do and they worked out really well for the team (like bringing on Martin Guptill to dismiss Tino Mawoyo on the fifth day). The reason we won that Test match was down to some of these moves.
"I can sit back and think it's all in good hands and not worry about it at all. I was able to be just a player. I think I will play a lot longer than being a captain, so it was pretty easy to sit back."
New Zealand’s next assignment is a tour of Australia starting December 1.
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