Saint or sinner?
By Geoff Longley
From the Christchurch Press, 16 November 2002
The Kiwi captain: what was his role in the crippling
cricket pay dispute?
Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming claims he was caught
in a dilemma during the players' strike which threatened
to wreck the game at top level in New Zealand.
The man whose leadership has been acclaimed worldwide,
and is the most successful Black Caps skipper, was silent
as the dispute between New Zealand Cricket and the Cricket
Players Association escalated into the public arena.
Many insiders believed that senior Black Caps were driving
the industrial action and the CPA and that spokesman
Rob Nichol was just a puppet-like mouthpiece being manipulated
from behind the scenes.
It is understood that NZC officials were concerned
about Fleming's inaccessibility and lack of leadership
as time dragged on.
The captain receives a skipper's allowance, believed
to be around $ 40,000, partly to be a go-between.
Fleming's reasoning for keeping his distance is plausible:
he wanted the CPA established and recognised and did
not want to undermine the work of the bargaining team.
However as the most influential Black Cap he had the
opportunity when things were obviously approaching an
impasse to steer Nichol and company down a more conciliatory
path.
Instead there developed the stand-off -- we want $ 7.2m
(a 60 per cent pay rise) or else.
Yet suddenly the CPA settled for $ 5.1m after
NZC chief executive Martin Snedden stood firm.
Following Fleming's intervention, no doubt with some
judicious advice from fellow senior Black Cap Chris
Cairns as international careers lay in the balance,
six months negotiations and six weeks striking, the
dispute was then settled in six days.
Interestingly, it was a suited senior statesman Cairns
who talked at NZC's press conference to comment on the
breakthrough while Fleming declined to speak that day.
Fleming can be a very dogmatic individual when he
sets his mind to an issue and in keeping quiet during
this dispute he got offside with long- time friend Martin
Crowe.
Crowe called for Fleming to become involved before
the dispute reached the point of no- return.
Fleming admitted to being apprehensive when approaching
Snedden and used former CEO Chris Doig as the initial
sounding board.
A lengthy face-to-face meeting followed while Snedden
also spoke to a number of the Canterbury- based Black
Caps and found their attitude was not totally entrenched.
Matters moved swiftly from there to a resolution but
as in almost any industrial action there may be some
residual resentment and mistrust.
However when it's all broken down over a four-year
period the pay increases, about 15 per cent over all,
are not that huge, and when they are offset by the costs
of having to fund their own CPA administration, even
smaller.
Probably no lasting damage has been done to Fleming's
image despite the CPA's act of brinkmanship and if India
is beaten in New Zealand next month all will probably
be forgiven and forgotten.
That is easier said than done even given India's notorious
inability to win away from home.
The current John Wright- coached Indian side will
be a demanding opponent with its glittering array of
stroke-laden batsmen from the genius of Sachin Tendulkar
to the aristocratic skipper Sourav Ganguly and the complete
craftsman Rahul Dravid.
Add the likes of VS Laxman, who lashed Australia in
India two seasons ago, a more potent pace attack than
previously, and skilful spin from the likes of Anil
Kumble and Harbarjhan Singh and the tour will be a treat
for cricket lovers.
After India is the World Cup in South Africa and Fleming,
29, should be approaching the peak of his captaincy
and batting powers.
He lists his Australian counterpart Steve Waugh as
one of his two most favourite players (Crowe is the
other) and the respect is mutual.
Three seasons ago when Australia toured New Zealand
the contrast between the two was huge.
The vastly experienced and successful Waugh was the
confident operator saying something significant every
time he spoke.
Fleming was the poor relation, reciting lifeless cliched
comments, obviously not helped by being on a beaten
side.
Last season in Australia they were seen as equals
with Fleming having come to terms with the role, confident
of speaking his mind in authoritative tones, and hailed
for his tactical planning in devising innovative ways
of dismissing Australia's batsmen.
Fleming has come a long way since being a Cashmere
High School student who was raised by mother Pauline
in modest Sydenham surroundings.
Fleming was burdened with the country's captaincy
at too early an age, 23, in 1996-97, succeeding Lee
Germon in mid- season when still making his way in the
game at international level and having not led Canterbury.
He was propped up then by coach Steve Rixon and John
Graham but developed his own public persona during David
Trist's coaching term when he actively sought a more
hands-on role.
He survived a crisis of confidence two years ago after
a disastrous one-day losing streak but drew strength
from an international captains' meeting in Australia
and a chance to chat with Waugh.
Now well settled in Wellington with partner Kelly
Payne, he is completely comfortable in the role, and
the runs are starting to flow more heavily from his
elegant batting.
Last season there were two centuries, against Australia
at Perth and West Indies in Barbados, which doubled
his test tally. It had previously stood at a meagre
two, plus a world record 29 half-centuries from 104
innings.
The lapses in concentration which have marred flourishing
innings are hopefully consigned to the past and a more
ruthless Fleming will take full toll when he gets a
start to his innings.
Leading a team with fully-fit spearheads Cairns, Shane
Bond, and Daniel Vettori gives the Black Caps the chance
to finally better their semi-final achievements at past
World Cups.
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