Wisden overview
Promoted to the New Zealand captaincy as a still-immature 23-year-old after the sacking of Lee Germon, Fleming has grown slowly into the role. An outstanding teenage batsman, he had only three years at Test level before becoming New Zealand's youngest captain. His promotion coincided with the selection of the Australian-born Steve Rixon as New Zealand coach and the development of a management structure which tended to diminish the captain's influence in team practices and policies. A free stroker of the ball who takes a special delight in the straight-drive, Fleming still has a flaw: a disturbingly low fifties-to-hundreds conversion-rate, although his matchwinning century against South Africa in the 2003 World Cup was clear proof of his cool head for a crisis. In 2000-01 Fleming demanded, and got, a stronger hand in running his team. A year later he almost became the first man to captain a side to a series win in Australia since Richie Richardson's West Indies in 1992-93. Just reward for a man who is New Zealand's most successful captain in terms of Test wins. Don Cameron

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