'Beat the Aussies' - New England Test coach Fleming sets out priority

Newly appointed England Test cricket coach Stephen Fleming spoke to the media for the first time since taking the job in July, ahead of leading the side on its tour of South Africa in December. The former New Zealand captain said he shares English cricket's fixation on beating Australia in the Ashes and is eager to be part of that rivalry.

The next Ashes series takes place in the UK next summer, giving England a chance to beat Australia for the first time since 2015 and make up for a heavy 4-1 series loss suffered in Australia last winter. Fleming, who never won any of the 14 Tests he played against Australia as a player, said New Zealand shares a similar drive to defeat Australia and that he cannot wait to be involved with England in that context.

Following McCullum

Fleming succeeds his former New Zealand team-mate Brendon McCullum, who was removed as Test coach earlier in the summer but remains in charge of England's white-ball side. Under McCullum, England won only two of their last ten Tests, including the heavy defeat in Australia. Criticism of the team under McCullum and former captain Ben Stokes centred on a failure to adapt to changing match situations and a lack of attention to detail.

Fleming, a close friend and business partner of McCullum, described their contrasting approaches by saying he would back the favourite while McCullum would back the longest odds. He added that a Test team does not need a fixed style or brand, saying the priority should be adapting to conditions and situations while maintaining strong planning and discipline.

Standards and Stokes

Asked about the late-night controversies that have followed the England set-up over the past year, Fleming said players must uphold certain standards of behaviour given their privileged position. He also confirmed he would not try to talk Ben Stokes, who abruptly retired from international cricket in July, out of retirement, saying he respects the decision fully.