Fleming: 'Beat the Aussies' is my priority as England's new Test coach
Stephen Fleming, England's new Test coach, told BBC Sport on Saturday at Old Trafford that he shares English cricket's "obsession" with the Ashes and arrives with the explicit aim to "beat the Aussies", speaking for the first time since his July appointment and ahead of the tour of South Africa in December.
Fleming succeeds his former team-mate Brendon McCullum, who was sacked as Test coach earlier this summer but remains in charge of England's white-ball teams. Like McCullum, Fleming is from New Zealand, which he described as the "little cousin" to Australia, and he played 14 Tests against Australia without tasting victory. The next Ashes series is scheduled to be in the UK next summer, when England will attempt to beat Australia for the first time since 2015 after a 4-1 defeat in Australia last winter.
Asked whether England were too obsessed with beating Australia, Fleming said: "No, because I have an obsession with it as well. New Zealand has an obsession with it, we love it. We want to beat the Aussies." He added that he was "incredibly excited" to have the opportunity and said: "I want to be my best self and have a team that represents itself in the best possible way. I've got a vision of that and it's aspirational. It will be brilliant."
On whether a Test team should have a brand or style, Fleming told BBC Sport: "I don't think so. The greatest thing for a team to do is to be able to play conditions and situations. I'd love people to say we are well-planned, there's a discipline and a really strong basic structure to what we're doing, but there's also a bit of flair."
The final months of McCullum's tenure were marred by late-night drinking controversies that continued after the coaching change. Derbyshire Police announced they had closed an investigation involving England pace bowler Brydon Carse following allegations of an assault last month; Carse will face no action from the police but is subject to an investigation by the Cricket Regulator and has not been part of an England squad since the Derby incident.
Addressing standards, Fleming said: "We pick on runs and wickets primarily, but I think it's foolish not to also say there are standards that need to be set. You need to behave in accordance with your position. We're in a very privileged position, and it's understanding that privilege and what goes along with it." He stressed the need to "live it every day" and described those standards as central to what he wants to build.
Fleming was at Old Trafford for England's defeat of Sri Lanka in the third T20 on Saturday and had earlier visited several counties, meeting Ben Stokes during Durham's draw against Worcestershire. Stokes abruptly retired from international cricket in July; Fleming, who worked with Stokes at Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, said: "When a player makes that decision to retire, I respect that decision 100%. To try to turn that around and question that is wrong. I know how much goes into that type of decision, and I respect that."
Almost two months into the job, Fleming presented a measured public profile that the article described as calm, measured and authoritative. He joked he has a "stress fracture of the left ear" from calls and said he sometimes turns up in fancy dress to relax his Chennai Super Kings dressing room; he also dismissed talk of "Flemball" as a "medical condition" and described his rapport with McCullum by saying: "I'll bet on the favourite and he'll bet on the longest odds possible."
Fleming will take charge for England's tour of South Africa in December, with the Ashes to follow in the UK next summer when England will seek to defeat Australia for the first time since 2015; "The most important thing is they win more, starting in South Africa in December."
