By RICHARD BOOCK
New Zealand Cricket's convener of selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee, took the extraordinary step yesterday of refusing to endorse the captaincy of Stephen Fleming.
Fleming's leadership has been under fire during one of New Zealand's worst losing runs in memory.
But despite the bad run, he had been expected to be retained in the role when the side to play Pakistan in the opening one-day international, at Auckland next Saturday, was announced today.
But, Hadlee side-stepped the issue of whether Fleming would be retained for the series against Pakistan, leaving the 27-year-old heading for the Melbourne-based meeting of international cricket captains without the support of the panel.
Asked whether he could clarify the issue by confirming that Fleming would be retained as captain, Hadlee said: "No, I cannot. No. Absolutely not."
Fleming, New Zealand's youngest test captain when appointed in 1997, has not only struggled to lead his country out of the current crisis but has also seen his batting form plummet.
He ended the one-day series against Sri Lanka with an average of just 23.20.
Fleming was unable to comment on his prospects of being retained, instead saying that the position was constantly being assessed.
He said that he would have to wait and see like everyone else.
"It's under review," he said.
"When the team hasn't performed well and when you're not performing well as an individual, then it has to be under review."
Asked if people should assume that he would carry on as skipper, Fleming said the "review process" had not yet finished, and that he was unable to shed any more light on the matter.
Apart from the question mark over Fleming, it seems unlikely that the selectors will make many changes after New Zealand's long-awaited win over Sri Lanka yesterday.
The only likely alteration would be the return of Nathan Astle at the expense of Craig Spearman.
Before yesterday, Spearman had last played a one-day international for New Zealand in the ICC knockout final last October.
He was rushed into the squad yesterday morning after Astle was hit by a bout of food poisoning.
Spearman made little impact with the bat in yesterday's match.
If the selectors resisted the temptation to make further changes, New Zealand would probably continue to use Adam Parore as an opener against Pakistan.
This would allow room for another allrounder in the middle to late order.
Possible team: Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Roger Twose, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Jacob Oram, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, James Franklin, Chris Martin.
Cricket: Hadlee ducks for cover on Fleming's captaincy
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