The New Zealand captain was unable to participate in the 49-run loss to the reigning world Twenty20 champions, and ominously a concussion suffered during the second ODI last Friday could jeopardise his chances of leading the test side when a three-match series opens in Dunedin on November 24.
Vettori was clouted on the helmet by Pakistani quick Mohammad Aamer while scoring 30. He seemed to shrug off the blow and took two for 37 off 10 overs to help square the ledger before another allround performance guided New Zealand to a historic series win three days later.
However, Vettori started vomiting and displaying other signs on delayed concussion in the lead-up to the opening Twenty20.
Scans were clear but he has been ordered to rest for two weeks and his health will continue to be monitored.
Vettori is also battling a chronic left shoulder injury that requires assessment when he returns from the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
Vettori's leadership, left arm spin and reliable batting is an imperative in Dunedin as New Zealand strive to improve on their lowly ranking of seventh on the ICC test rankings at the expense of the team ranked a notch above them.
On a positive note, the shoulder injury does not appear as serious as originally though and surgery, if required, might be delayed until as late as the end of a congested international calendar next May.
Vettori was sorely missed as a seriously depleted New Zealand were brushed aside by a Pakistani side stung by conceding the ODI series.
Opener Imran Nazir set the tone with a spanking 38-ball 58, the impetus for Pakistan's impregnable 161 for eight after Brendon McCullum elected to field.
No New Zealand batsman could match Nazir's strike power and the chase fizzled out on 112 with nine balls remaining -- a chase hampered by opener Aaron Redmond's unavailability due to a groin strain.
Redmond joined a list of walking wounded alongside the skipper, Kyle Mills (shoulder) and James Franklin (back).
Jacob Oram was already on his way home to witness the birth of his first child leaving New Zealand with only 11 players to pick from, including debutant BJ Watling.
Franklin eventually had to field after Redmond went lame while bowling.
Pakistan welcomed the invitation to set the target, although Nazir copped a rib tickler first ball from Shane Bond, who opened with a maiden.
Pakistan made a relatively sedate start, just 20 from five overs, but once Ian Butler's first two deliveries were propelled over the ropes by Nazir, the acceleration was under way.
Nazir eventually clubbed four sixes and five fours while Shahid Afridi (24) and Abdul Razzaq (26 not out) weighed in with some lusty blows at the death.
McCullum and Martin Guptill took 29 from the first two overs but once Aamer and fellow left armer Sohail Tanvir removed the openers Pakistan were assured of completing a sixth straight T20 win.
New Zealand has little time to regroup or recover with the final T20 scheduled for early tomorrow (NZT), though McCullum was bullish.
"We'll bounce back. Obviously, we are a depleted side, but it does give chances to others."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said Pakistan were desperate for a win after losing the ODI series.
"When we started 150 was the target and when we were more than 100 runs in 12 overs, I thought close to 200 was possible.
"But we would have been happy with 150 because of the quality of our bowling attack."
Scoreboard
Pakistan
Imran Nazir c Redmond b Bond 58
Kamran Akmal c Bond b Southee 13
Umar Akmal c Watling b Styris 3
Shahid Afridi c Southee b Redmond 24
Shoaib Malik c & b Redmond 6
Fawad Alam c Butler b Bond 15
Abdul Razzaq not out 26
Sohail Tanvir c N McCullum b Southee 12
Mohammad Aamer c sub (Franklin) b Southee 2
Extras: (1w, 1nb) 2
Total: (for eight wickets) 161
Did Not Bat: Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-56, 3-92, 4-101, 5-116, 6-134, 7-158, 8-161.
Bowling: Shane Bond 4-1-17-2; Tim Southee 4-0-28-3; Ian Butler 3-0-42-0 (1nb); Scott Styris 4-0-32-1; Nathan McCullum 2.1-0-18-0; Aaron Redmond 2.5-0-28-2 (1w).
New Zealand
Brendon McCullum c Alam b Aamer 19
Martin Guptill c K Akmal b Tanvir 8
Ross Taylor c K Akmal b Aamer 5
Scott Styris c U Akmal b Razzaq 4
Bradley-John Watling st K Akmal b Ajmal 22
Neil Broom c Gul b Razzaq 14
Nathan McCullum c Gul b Ajmal 22
Ian Butler b Afridi 1
Shane Bond not out 1
Tim Southee c Malik b Afridi 6
Extras: (2w, 8lb) 10
Total: (for nine wickets; 18.3 overs) 112
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-33, 3-34, 4-41, 5-67, 6-95, 7-98, 8-106, 9-112.
Bowling: Mohammad Aamer 3-1-21-2; Sohail Tanvir 4-0-22-1 (1w); Abdul Razzaq 3-0-9-2; Umar Gul 2-0-13-0; Shahid Afridi 3.3-0-21-2; Saeed Ajmal 3-0-18-2 (1w).
Result: Pakistan won by 49 runs
Toss: New Zealand.
Series: Pakistan leads 1-0.
Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri, Pakistan, and Zameer Haider, Pakistan.
Match referee: AJ Pycroft, Zimbabwe.
