In the few opportunities that he has been presented with, Jeetan Patel has shown enough pedigree to hold his own against the finest, but the presence of the wily Daniel Vettori has meant that he will have to play the role of ‘best man’ to the Kiwi spinning ace for the time being.

Patel made a captivating domestic debut for Wellington in 1999 with match figures of 5-145 but thereafter his career lacked direction. It was only in the 2004-05 season where he picked up 26 wickets, that he started showing signs of his talent. His 6-32 against Otago on the backing of a good English county season got him the then coach John Bracewell’s attention. He was consequently granted an ODI debut against Zimbabwe in late 2005. A stifling spell against Sri Lanka at Wellington followed by a respectable West Indies series earned him his first Test cap against South Africa in 2006. He was also part of New Zealand’s 2007 World Cup squad.

A bowler who is not afraid to give the ball air, Patel’s ability to hold one end up combined with his acrobatic fielding and his decent batting skills make him a very handy player for New Zealand.