International Cricket

New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel says a session with former Australia spinner Ashley Mallett was invaluable.

Mallett, 68, played 38 Tests for Australia and offered to work with the BlackCaps number two spinner after Patel was named 12th man on the first morning of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide.

Patel, who has played five Tests since making his debut against South Africa in Cape Town in 2006, worked with former Australia spinner Bruce Yardley in Bangladesh last month and has also had the benefit from having outgoing New Zealand coach John Bracewell and Kiwi captain Dan Vettori to call upon for advice.

"I've worked with Ashley before and he's certainly got a great passion and great understanding of the art of spin bowling," 28-year-old Patel told the Sunday Star-Times.

"I like tapping into the knowledge of all these people. They all have different things and different ideas and then I can make up my own mind."

Mallett meanwhile, has been left unimpressed by the slow bowling stocks in Australia following the retirement of Shane Warne.

He is reserving judgement on Jason Krezja, who took 12 wickets on his Test debut in India earlier this month, but was ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand with an ankle injury.

But Mallett has yet to be convinced Krejzas replacement Nathan Hauritz.

Hauritz was recalled in for his second Test after making his debut four years ago in Mumbai, but Mallett would prefer to see Victoria's Bryce McGain given a chance when his shoulder injury heals.

"They are picking blokes who are averaging 50 a wicket, so the state of spin bowling is dreadful," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It stems back a lot to the coaching. There's a lot of blokes coaching who don't understand the art and I'm not talking about the lower grades, I'm talking about the state level."