Vettori to play for Brisbane Heat in Big Bash League

Wellington: New Zealand allrounder Daniel Vettori has signed a three-year-deal with Brisbane Heat to play in the Big Bash Twenty20 League.

After playing three games for the Heat in the inaugural Australian domestic competition last season, Vettori signed as one of the franchise’s overseas players, which are limited to two for each team. “I had a really good time last season. They were a great bunch of blokes led by a top coach in Darren Lehmann and his support staff, which made for a very enjoyable environment to play cricket in,” said Vettori. However, Vettori again appears unlikely to play in any more than three games in 2012-13 given the left-arm spinners’s availability for the Big Bash, which runs from December 7 to January 19, a website reports. New Zealand has a Twenty20, one-day and test tour of South Africa from December 18 to January 25 and Vettori is likely to be involved in all but the 50-over matches. ANI