Vettori set for surprise return to Test cricket

Veteran Kiwi spinner Daniel Vettori is set to play his first Test in more than two years after joining the Black Caps squad for the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah.

Vettori was already in the United Arab Emirates with the New Zealand A team, but trained on Monday with the Black Caps ahead of Wednesday's Test.

The 35-year-old left-armer has played 111 Tests and taken 360 wickets for New Zealand since making his debut as an 18-year-old in February 1997.

If he does play in the third Test he will edge ahead of Stephen Fleming as the country's most-capped Test cricketer.

His last Test match was the nine-wicket loss to the West Indies in July 2012.

Black Caps coach Mike Hesson says if Vettori does play, it's possible it will be as part of a spin trio with incumbents Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig.

"From the first two Tests, it's been pretty clear how important spin is in these conditions and we expect the pitch in Sharjah to be the slowest of all three wickets," Hesson said.

"The possibility of having three bowlers who can exploit those conditions is an exciting option for us to have.

"Dan obviously has an incredible amount of experience and has shown how effective he can be in these sorts of conditions. It doesn't mean that Dan will play in Tests for us in the future, but it's a great opportunity to use him in this one-off unique situation."