Cricket | Fleming puts hand up for NZ T20 coaching role

Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain, has expressed his interest in coaching the national Twenty20 International side in the likelihood that New Zealand Cricket decides to restructure the current coaching set-up in order to reduce head coach Mike Hesson's workload given the packed international schedule.

"It's based on my passion and love for New Zealand cricket," Fleming told Trackside Radio on Thursday (March 1). "I've got a very good relationship with Craig McMillan [the current batting coach] and spend a lot of time talking to him about where the game is going and what he sees. So I enjoy passing on that knowledge and it comes back to wanting the New Zealand team to be strong," said Fleming who has been lending his expertise to T20 franchises in the Indian Premier League, with the Chennai Super Kings, and in the Big Bash League with the Melbourne Stars. "I enjoy going away and having a strong New Zealand team performing well around the world, it helps my job and I enjoy getting the New Zealand players in the sides that I've got."

Simon Doull, the former New Zealand paceman turned commentator, recently, during the T20 tri-series involving Australia, England and New Zealand, suggested that both Hesson and skipper Williamson should move on from the shortest format of the game given the packed international schedule. Williamson, however, averages about 38 as a T20 opener, and 22 batting elsewhere.

"You've got to think for a modern day coach these days, to be spending 250-300 days away, or involved in the job, travelling and hotels and being away from the family, that's unsustainable," Fleming said. "So Simon [Doull] makes some good points there about looking after your coaches and maybe T20 is one form of the game where there's an opportunity for the head coach to have some time off.

"Whether you develop a Craig McMillan or another young coach coming forward, or you get an old dog in and maybe Vettori or myself come in to spend a bit of time there? It's whether it keeps Mike Hesson fresh, it's whether it falls into line with what Mike wants. But I think it's worth discussing going forward as the schedule gets more cluttered. What I've heard from NZ Cricket and Mike right now is that the balance is pretty good, so he's pretty happy to continue what he's doing. But it needs to be explored."

(CRICBUZZ)