Cricket World Cup 2015: Daniel Vettori may retire, McCullum hints

Vettori has appeared in more Tests and more one-day internationals than any other New Zealand player

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has hinted that Sunday's World Cup final will be veteran spinner Daniel Vettori's final international game.

"This was potentially his last game on New Zealand soil," McCullum said after Tuesday's semi-final win over South Africa in Auckland.

"Hopefully we've got one more game, one more big fairytale finish for him and then we'll have a few beers."

The Black Caps will face Australia or India in the final in Melbourne.

Auckland-born Vettori, 36, has been coy about his future plans beyond this tournament, although he has been head coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in the Indian Premier League since 2014.

He made his New Zealand debut just over a week after he turned 18, and has represented his country in 113 Tests, 294 one-day internationals and 34 Twenty20 internationals, taking 705 wickets in total.

Having come into the side as a bespectacled teenager batting at number 11, his batting improved to the extent he ended his Test career at number six, hitting six Test centuries.

Vettori also captained the side between 2007 and 2011, at which point he initially retired from limited-overs internationals before being persuaded back into the fold, although injuries have limited his appearances in recent years.

"He's played a lot of his cricket with bumps and bruises and niggles and strains," added McCullum.

"People probably don't realise but he's had to overcome quite a bit to continue to get out there and represent New Zealand. He's a tough customer and he's been an amazing servant for New Zealand cricket."

Vettori is New Zealand's leading ODI wicket-taker with 297, and his haul of 361 in Tests is only exceeded by legendary pace bowler Sir Richard Hadlee's 431.

He is one of only eight players - along with Hadlee, Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Shaun Pollock, Chaminda Vaas and Shane Warne - to have 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in Tests.

Listen to highlights from Test Match Special's and 5 live Sport's 2015 World Cup coverage.