Daniel Vettori: Ex-New Zealand captain to coach Middlesex in T20 Blast

The final appearances of Daniel Vettori's 18-year international career was in the 2015 World Cup final, which New Zealand lost to Australia by seven wickets

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has agreed a three-year deal to join Middlesex's coaching staff.

The 37-year-old will take up the position of head coach for the club's T20 Blast campaign, starting in 2017.

Vettori is head coach of Brisbane Heat in Australia's Big Bash League and Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"Daniel will strengthen what is already an outstanding coaching unit," managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said.

Vettori represented New Zealand on 442 occasions between 1997 and 2015, playing 113 Tests, 295 one-day internationals and 34 Twenty20s.

In total the Auckland-born all-rounder took 705 wickets for the Black Caps, as well as scoring 6,989 runs.

Since retiring, he coached the Heat to a sixth-placed finish in the Big Bash last season, while Royal Challengers were runners-up in this year's edition of the IPL.

Middlesex 'always looking to improve'

Middlesex have only qualified from the group stage of England's domestic T20 competition on three occasions since the tournament was first played in 2003, going on to win the trophy in 2008.

The Lord's side, who won the County Championship title last season, were beaten in the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast in 2016.

"Cricket is becoming ever more specialised," Fraser added.

"The skills required by players in the different forms of the game are wide-ranging - why should coaching be any different? As a club we are always looking to improve."

Vettori will work alongside Middlesex head coach Richard Scott and assistant coaches Richard Johnson and David Houghton, and will be in charge of the club's T20 strategy and preparation.