News: Fleming stands down as skipper

[TheWatcher]

NZ Herald

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Stephen Fleming today quit as captain of New Zealand's one-day cricket team after his side's crushing World Cup semifinal loss to Sri Lanka.

"I want to keep on playing but I'm standing down as captain of the one-day side," he told a news conference.

Fleming has played 280 one-day internationals since making his debut in 1994. He has been captain on 218 occasions since 1997.

Fleming wants to remain as captain of the New Zealand test team. His successor as one-day captain is likely to be spin bowler Daniel Vettori.

Fleming, 34, has served as skipper for three World Cups, reaching two semifinals. But New Zealand have never reached the World Cup final and have now lost five semifinals in nine tournaments following today's 81-run loss.

"I'm not sure there was much more we could have done. As far as planning goes, we were extremely clear in our minds what we wanted to do," Fleming added.

"I've only just turned 34 and I've got some good batting years ahead of me. I want to concentrate on that for a while," Fleming said.

He has scored 8,037 runs in one-day internationals at an average of 32.40, with just eight centuries.

"I'd like to play the game as a batsman and in some ways your energy levels are sapped when you captain a side," Fleming said.

"I'd like to finish my career with some stats I think I'm worth."

Fleming said Vettori was the strongest candidate to take over the one-day leadership. However, much depended on whether coach John Bracewell and the present selectors decided to stay on.

"There's going to be a lot of change in New Zealand cricket," Fleming said, adding that by carrying on as test captain he would make it easier for his eventual successor to get used to leading the side.