New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming's reaction to Australia's decision to drop Steve Waugh was immediate: "He'll be back."

Fleming, who has been influenced in his growth in captaincy by Waugh over the years, only learned of Waugh's dropping from the captaincy and membership of the Australian one-day team when his side beat England by four wickets in Christchurch tonight.

He was surprised by the news and said it was "a massive move."

It was obviously a decision the selectors had thought long and hard about, he said.

Before the New Zealanders left Australia they were aware of pressure from the public and in the media, after Australia missed out on the VB Series finals.

"They obviously think that's the way to go forward. If they were going to do it I guess it has to be now. One wonders what direction they are going?" he said.

© CricInfo