Fleming resigns as ODI captain

**NoToRi0uS** · #1 04-25-2007

Fleming resigns as ODI captain
After more than a decade at the helm, Stephen Fleming has resigned the captaincy of New Zealand's one-day team in the wake of his team's defeat in the semi-final of the World Cup against Sri Lanka at Sabina Park. Fleming, 34, made the announcement at the post-match press conference, bringing to an end a run of 218 games in charge.
"This was my last game as one-day captain, but I still want to captain the Test side," said Fleming, who has led the side to 98 wins and 106 defeats in his time at the top, including two World Cup semi-finals. He now intends to compete as a batsman only in the shortened form of the game.
"I've only just turned 34 and I think I've still got some good batting years ahead of me," he added. "So I want to concentrate on that for a while, and put a lot of energy into our Test cricket. In some ways your energy levels are sapped when you captain the side, and I want to play with a fresh mind, and finish off my career with some stats that I think I'm worth."
Fleming's career has long been a case of "what if?" He inherited the captaincy from Lee Germon after England's tour of New Zealand in 1996-97, just days before his 24th birthday, and it has long been felt that his Test and one-day averages of 39.64 and 32.40 respectively are less than they might have been had he been allowed to concentrate on his own game all through his peak years as a cricketer. Although he made just 1 against Sri Lanka in his captaincy swansong, he still finishes the competition with an impressive series tally of 353 runs.