Sri Lankan legends Muralitharan, Vaas to help out Kiwis during upcoming tour

Wellington: Sri Lankan legends Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas will assist new New Zealand bowling Coach Shane Bond during their eight-match tour that includes one Twenty20 international, five one-day matches and two Test matches.

Head coach Mike Hesson announced on Wednesday that Muralitharan would be involved before the management team departed from Christchurch, but Vaas` involvement was meant to remain under wraps, but Bond himself let the cat out of the bag before apologising to Hesson. According to Stuff.co.nz, Vaas is still under contract in Sri Lanka, but has agreed to work with the Black Caps during their tour. Hesson and co couldn`t ask for better help in Muralitharan, who is the leading test wicket-taker of all time with 795 scalps while left-arm fast bowler Vaas is easily the second most successful Sri Lankan bowler with 355 wickets, the site added. Vaas will work with the entire bowling group, but will also spend time helping the three left-arm seamers in the Black Caps squad; Trent Boult, James Franklin and Neil Wagner, it said. With Hesson and assistant coach Bob Carter batting and fielding specialists and Bond more accustomed to quick bowling, the involvement of Muralitharan fills a big gap in the spin coaching ranks, it further added. The report further said that with four spin options in each of the side`s limited overs and Tests squads, plus wickets expected to take plenty of turn, Muralitharan’s expertise will be welcomed with open arms. New Zealand will open their tour with one Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka next Tuesday at Pallakele, which is the same ground where the Black Caps were eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup earlier this month. ANI