— Photo: S. Subramanium

LEADING FROM THE FRONT: A thinking captain, Stephen Fleming has done very well to lead a team possessing limited ability to spring quite a few surprises.

Chennai: For Stephen Fleming, cricket is a game of chess. He plans and he plots. And he gets his men to execute the ideas.

Strategically brilliant, he is also a wonderful leader of men, piloting a side of limited ability to extra-ordinary deeds. He is patient, but does not wait for the events to unfold.

He creates situations, makes things happen. This, indeed, is the hallmark of a skipper who has his finger on the pulse of a game.

Fleming has also provided the New Zealand team with a great sense of continuity and stability. When the 33-year-old Kiwi walked out for the toss with Pakistan's Younis Khan at Mohali on Wednesday, he had gone past Arjuna Ranatunga's mark of 193 games for most matches as a skipper in One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

Adept at mind games

They used to call Ranatunga "The Grandmaster" for his cerebral ways on and off the cricket field. Fleming, too, is adept in mind games. His words are carefully measured, much like his changes on the field of play.

Importantly, he leads by example. He had (before the ICC Champions Trophy game at Mohali) 7,273 runs in 255 ODIs at 32.18. Fleming has, after his effort against Pakistan on Wednesday, the most runs (5,611 in 194 games) by a captain in ODIs.

These days, he is a source of great strength to the Kiwis in the top order, whether clipping the ball off his legs, directing the ball square off the wicket or launching into drives in the `V.'

Fleming has evolved as a batsman and there is a marked improvement in his off-side play. Temperamentally, he is hard to break; during times of distress, the captain is a calming influence on his men.

Let's not forget for a moment that he has 6,545 runs in 102 Tests at a respectable 40.15; a lot of these runs have been made on the seamer-friendly pitches of New Zealand.

Most capped player

He is the most capped New Zealander in either form of the game, has the most runs by a Kiwi in both Tests and ODIs.

His batting accomplishments — he has handled Muttiah Muralitharan with aplomb on the Sri Lankan pitches as well — are hard to ignore, but he will be remembered more for his leadership qualities.

Crucially, as skipper, he rarely allows the moment to fly away; he seizes it. He is an aggressive captain in Tests, but comprehends when to launch his attacks, or retreat, tactically.

Innovative

His management of overs in the ODIs has come in for praise. His field placements have been innovative and bold; you can trust him to have a short cover or a short mid-wicket in place, with empty areas behind.

Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been introduced early, and Shane Bond held back. Fleming can indeed surprise the opposition.

Take away Bond and New Zealand is a side without match-winners. However, the Kiwi sum is, invariably, more than its parts. Fleming's team is a cohesive, efficient unit, whose performances away from home have improved.

Fleming took over as captain from Lee Germon in 1996-97. Those were difficult days for New Zealand, but Fleming managed to turn things around. Now, he is a skipper in control.

He also makes a statement with the willow. His `death or glory' unbeaten 134 against South Africa at the Wanderers during the 2003 World Cup sent a significant message to his men — `We are here to stay and fight.' Yes, he is inspirational.

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