Brendon McCullum expects long serving left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori to retire from cricket after Sunday's ICC Cricket World Cup Final.

The New Zealand skipper praised his 36-year-old former captain's courage in overcoming injuries to play a leading role for the Black Caps during the tournament and McCullum is hoping for victory at the MCG to provide the fitting send off. 

"This was potentially his last game on New Zealand soil," McCullum said after the semi-final victory over South Africa.

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

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

"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's 297 dismissals in One-Day Internationals put him top of the pile in the Kiwis' history.

He was briefly a Nottinghamshire player in 2003, playing two four day matches and a solitary List A fixture for the Club.

He has also been a regular contributor with the bat and squeezed a crucial boundary behind point during the dying stages of the semi-final run chase against the Proteas, that after dominating the Youtube world with a much celebrated one-handed catch in the quarter-final against the West Indies.

The veteran's tournament with the ball has brought 15 wickets at 18.8 apiece and a miserly run-rate of 3.98 runs-per-over.

His inclusion for the Black Caps as a frontline spinner is likely to be the major structural difference between the two sides with Glenn Maxwell set to take the field as Australia's lead slow bowling option.

For that reason MS Dhoni, whose India side bowed out of the tournament in their recent last four fixture against Australia, has highlighted Vettori as the key to the final.

“I think Vettori’s performance will be crucial,” the Indian Captan said. 

“He is somebody who, in the middle overs, can really get wickets and he’s not someone you can easily score off, so he will be the key factor.”

 

Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don't miss the chance to watch England seek redemption against the Kiwis and secure your seat now.