Warne rates Fleming as top captain
From STUFF, 12 September 2002
Shane Warne has handed out a bouquet ahead
of New Zealand's match against Australia at the Champions
Trophy in Sri Lanka on Sunday by nominating Stephen
Fleming as the best current captain in world cricket.
Warne felt Fleming's allround tactical nous and batsmanship
elevated him ahead of the likes of legendary Australian
test captain Steve Waugh and the world champions' current
one-day skipper Ricky Ponting. "I just think he has
a wonderful cricketing brain, he's a wonderful captain.
"Talking to him about cricket I think he's on the right
track and I think the tactics he comes out with against
our batsmen are very good," Warne said.
New Zealand's test and one-day series here last summer
underlined his claims. Fleming's inspired captaincy
helped ensure New Zealand drew the three-match test
series 0-0, and they went on to win three of the four
one-dayers against Australia in the Tri-Series involving
South Africa.
"Some of the things New Zealand came out with last
summer were very, very good. They saw me and (Glenn)
McGrath off and worked on the other blokes."
Fleming's meticulous field placements also shut down
the Australian top order, particularly in the one-dayers
where wickets tumbled early.
Australia's failure to make the Tri-Series final was
the catalyst for Waugh to be stripped of the one-day
captaincy and dropped from the squad.
"I think Steve is a wonderful captain and Ricky is
doing an excellent job in one-day cricket but Fleming
is excellent, he is probably the best in the world,"
Warne said.
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