Fleming's influence too much - Hadlee

Richard Hadlee, in a new book, suggests former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming became too influential in the role and was able to manipulate coaches and selectors to get what he wanted.

"If we selectors had a criticism, it was that at times Stephen tended to overshadow and almost downgraded the profile and role of the coach," Hadlee writes in Changing Pace: A Memoir which is out today.

Fleming came to the captaincy under Steve Rixon on whom he "relied heavily". The next coach David Trist "was happy to see Stephen assume the major focus as leader" but when Denis Aberhart took over, he took a backseat to Fleming.

"Stephen did not rate Denis as a coach, probably because Denis had never been an international player. Stephen, who was quite confident of his abilities as a captain at that stage of his career, gave me the impression that he was able to manipulate situations to his own advantage, especially with regards to selections and where he wanted to bat."

Hadlee suggests there was substance to the the oft-rumoured rift between Fleming and Aberhart's successor, John Bracewell.

"I suspect the relationship between John Bracewell and Stephen was mixed. They were both strong personalities with clear ideas about how to move the team forward.

"Initially, they developed a wonderful and successful relationship, but that may have soured towards the end of Stephen's career.

"Perhaps Stephen felt he was being undermined by Bracewell and the selectors. There was a huge shift from the selectors in terms of wanting more from the players in both personal and team performances. Results were not good enough and too inconsistent. Perhaps Stephen felt interference when losing some of his right-hand men. After all, these were friends he'd come to rely on before they were dropped."

Hadlee said the selectors also believed Fleming allowed his judgement to become clouded over certain players.

"We asked Stephen for his thoughts as often as possible but we felt that he had a tendency to favour some players ahead of others and could be reluctant to discuss or accept other points of view. Indeed, at times he was almost dismissive of other points of view."

Fleming was eventually, and unceremoniously, removed from the captaincy in his last season.

Hadlee also reserves some barbs for the Australian leadership company Leading Teams, which had a short but tumultuous involvement with the Black Caps under Bracewell's tenure.

Hadlee said the peer assessment part of the programme was flawed and accused some younger players of using it to "to say what they really thought of a player or a support staff member but often this was without having too much knowledge about that person or their role in the team - some highly personal issues were raised and that did not sit comfortably with some players or management.

"There appeared to be too many put- downs and many felt they had been put through the wringer and were left with a shattered perception of themselves and others.

"There were suggestions that some senior players retired prematurely because they did not enjoy, or even see a need for, the Leading Teams concept - and that may be so."

Hadlee said it was a waste of money and instead of being in meetings, players should have been practising their skills "which is our biggest weakness".

- © Fairfax NZ News