The former Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori has ruled himself out of Northern Districts Champions League Twenty20 tournament starting in India next month due to family health issues.
Daniel (Dan) Vettori during the HRV Cup match between the Northern Knight v Wellington Firebirds. Men's domestic one day cricket. Blake Park, Mt Maunganui, New Zealand. 4 January 2012. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Vettori was named in to play for his domestic New Zealand side Northern Districts at the tournament, with the team in a qualifying group alongside the Lahore Lions, Mumbai Indians and Southern Express.
In a statement, Vettori says he loves playing for ND and to do so on a world stage would have been a real highlight.
The Northern Districts manager Pat Cole says the team supports Vettori's decision, cricket's just a game and family is way more important.
New Zealand's star seam and swing bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult, part of Northern Knights' squad, leave on Saturday to head to a pre-tournament camp in Bangalore they will share with Mumbai Indians.
The Northern Districts chief executive Peter Roach says the franchise has begun the process of seeking a replacement for Vettori through the Champions League's technical committee.
The Knights are already without allrounder Corey Anderson, who chose to represent his IPL franchise the Mumbai Indians in the tournament.
The two teams are scheduled to play each other during the qualifying stage, which will be held between September 13 and 16, before the main leg between September 17 and October 4.
The top two sides from the four-team round-robin qualifier will advance to the main draw, which is divided into two pools of five teams each.
Vettori recently represented Jamaica Tallawahs in the recent Caribbean Premier League, his first T20 assignment since the Big Bash League last season.
He coached the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the 2014 IPL season but has not played a T20I for New Zealand since September 2012.
