Stephen Fleming has acquired a reputation as an imaginative, thinking-man's captain. It's a reputation that is thoroughly deserved: not many leaders of cricket teams have left Australia in recent times with honours even - and pride intact - or departed the Caribbean with a series victory to their name. He's also a punctual man. An appointment at one o'clock means exactly that, and there are none of the airs you sometimes find with lesser men. He is also an honest bloke, given to plain speaking, as you find out when you ask about the tour of Australia last December and the one that got away at Perth: "Yeah, you could say we were unlucky. But to be fair, we had some good fortune with the weather in Hobart, where they put up a really big total. If you consider the series as a whole, you'd have to say the draw was a fair result. If you consider Perth as a one-off, we probably deserved the win."

How did he motivate his men on a WACA track that normally defeats touring teams on reputation alone? "Well, to be honest, it's not as quick as it once was, and we have some pretty fast pitches in New Zealand too. We were playing well and we had a good plan that we stuck to."

Playing Australia is the ultimate test, because they have "greater desire and an urge to finish things off quickly". He elaborates: "They can be relentless if you let them get the initiative, which is why they finish so many Test matches inside four days."

That drawn series was clearly a highlight, but it doesn't quite stack up to the series victory in England in 1999 or the recent victory in the West Indies. "Those were huge pieces in the New Zealand cricket-history puzzle," he says. "We'd never won two Test matches in England before and everyone knows how hard it is to win in the West Indies." The ICC Knockout Trophy success at Nairobi comes a close third, especially because it's the only major trophy New Zealand have won in their history.

His approach to captaincy is "very inclusive", he says. "I value the opinions of every single player and we're always looking to embrace new ideas." The crushing loss to Australia here clearly hurts, but he gently reminds you of a player they missed. Chris Cairns became a world-beater under Fleming's stewardship and is "The one [New Zealand] player who's recognised as being among the very best the world over". And there's more: "With Shane Bond, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori and Cairns due back from injury, I'm confident we have a group of players that can take New Zealand cricket to the next level. The World Cup is an obvious target, though we're also desperate to win the series against India later this year."

It all started to gel for New Zealand at the last World Cup, where they beat Australia and went all the way to the semi-finals. Placed as they are in what appears to be a slightly less-testing group this time around, it would surprise few if they went one step better. And Fleming is hoping his own form goes up a notch. "I'll be the first to admit that I've struggled a bit with my batting after becoming captain. I've got to learn to lead from the front in more positive fashion, and I think I've managed to do that in the Test matches of late."

For a small nation of three and a half million people, "expectations are very high", he says. Rugby's All-Blacks are the gold standard when it comes to New Zealand sport, and their successes don't make it easier for the rest. But for Fleming and his boys, they're a source of constant inspiration, tangible proof that the little'un can take on the big bullies and come up clutching the match ball.

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

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