Trading black for yellow

From captaining New Zealand to coaching the Chennai Super Kings, Stephen Fleming talks about his eventful journey.

April 26, 2015 08:29 pm | Updated 08:29 pm IST

Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming

I feel like a dwarf now. With the tall and rugged Stephen Fleming standing next to me, there’s little I can do to avoid feeling weak-kneed. 

“Ah, you are in our team colour,” he remarks chirpily, pointing to my yellow blazer. Well, that isn’t the idea. But he’s so charming and in such great spirits that it’s hard to break it to him that I support one of the rival IPL teams. 

It has been a good seven-year run for the former New Zealand cricketer as coach of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with two IPL victories in 2010 and 2011 and one CLT20 in 2010. One of the most recognisable faces in the team dugout, Fleming says, “I am based in Chennai year in and year out. This is like my second home. I have gotten to know this country and now am in a great position to promote New Zealand in India and vice versa.” Cashing in on this, Tourism New Zealand has made him its ambassador. Cricket, he believes, has played a great role in promoting tourism in New Zealand. According to sources from the tourism board, the 2015 World Cup saw about 10,000 tourists from India. “Tourism forms a large part of the economy in New Zealand; our people are welcoming. We have unbelievable natural scenery... diverse beaches and mountains.”

While it is a popular destination for honeymooners, it’s also where groups of friends travel to for the road trip experience. “Sky diving and adventure sports are hugely popular among backpackers because it’s a safe place. We have fantastic five-star and middle-range B&Bs. April-May and the beginning of June are a good time to visit,” he adds.

Stephen believes New Zealand is a great place for education too, with quite a few students heading there to pursue various courses. And who knows, with cricket as an optional after-school activity, some might just make it to the Kiwi cricket team like Jeetan Patel, Dipak Patel or Ish Sodhi. Interestingly, there are a lot of young Indian-origin players coming through in the next generation cricket team.

One of the youngest captains to lead the New Zealand side, Stephen retired from international cricket in 2008. Does he miss being on the field? “No. Because there was the pressure and fear of failure, which was a good sign as that says I was ready to finish.” The 42-year-old is more relaxed as a coach and tries to maintain in the team an environment that he would have liked as a player. 

When Stephen started playing cricket at the age of 17, he worked as a Physical Education teacher to fund his education. Lessons and experiences from his tenure as a teacher have stood him in good stead as CSK coach. “Planning a net session is like planning a class. There are challenges around language and getting your message across,” he says.

As the IPL started right after the World Cup, it was initially challenging for the coach to train his group of yellow-clad boys within a short time frame. “We have retained the same core team. They know the message by now. We know each other very well and understand what we have to do.”

With Stephen extending his contract till 2016, there sure isn’t any danger of the seven-year itch. “As a team, we are very conservative and consistent. We make most of what we have rather than look for what we don’t.”

Besides practice matches, the malls and movies keep Stephen occupied in Chennai. “I shop for the latest in men’s fashion. I watched the latest instalment of The Fast and the Furious recently and also a 5D movie at Phoenix MarketCity. Fisherman’s Cove is good too.”

How would Stephen promote Chennai as a tourist destination? “I’d do that with passion,” he smiles. “Chennai is famous for its silk, and has a great coastline too. I’d also ask people to watch a game at Chepauk. They will find that the city is quite conservative unlike the hustle and bustle of Mumbai and other Indian cities.”  

And which team has a shot at the trophy this year? “Apart from CSK?” he grins and adds, “On any given day you can get beaten unless you play well.” With him promoting New Zealand this time, one hopes to watch him perform the haka, if his men in yellow win the trophy.

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