Wellington, July 30 (IANS) Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit on the occasion of Queen’s Birthday Honours ceremony in Auckland.
Vettori, a former New Zealand captain, was bestowed with the honour for his services to the game of cricket in the country.
The award is given to people who have done remarkable work in the field of philanthropy, music, local governance and community service among others.
‘It feels like a real honour. The first time I knew about (the royal honour), it was just a real surprise. I couldn’t get over it,’ Vettori was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald Friday.
Vettori, who made his debut as an 18-year-old, is the youngest player to have represented New Zealand in Tests. He is one of eight cricketers who have taken 300 Test wickets and score 3,000-plus runs in the international arena.
Vettori has 4,167 runs and 345 Test wickets to his credit. Named skipper in 2007, he resigned from captaincy after guiding the team to the semifinals of the 2011 World Cup.
