Stephen Fleming excited to see Joburg Super Kings' young guns mix it with the 'big dogs'

Stephen Fleming has seen it all. The former New Zealand captain is one of the most successful franchise coaches in the world, having guided the Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles.

So, what motivates the 52-year-old Kiwi to pack his bag and spend his festive season in South Africa, coaching the Joburg Super Kings in SA20? 

“I was really keen to watch an All Black Test in South Africa,” Fleming joked after the recent Season 4 auction in Johannesburg. 

“No, seriously though, it's part of my DNA. It's a privileged job to be able to travel to places like this and be part of competitions that each have their own personality.

“It's at the cutting edge of the game, and to still be involved in the game after years of being able to trade with it is something pretty special.

“You get to see the new players coming through, mixed with the great players of the now, and just be a part of something you've always loved, and that's certainly what I still do.”

The identification of talent certainly gets Fleming buzzing, and he recently spent three days in Johannesburg casting his eye over a group of young JSK hopefuls. It came to fruition at the auction when Fleming could make an informed choice when purchasing SA Emerging allrounder Dian Forrester, teenager Steve Stolk and the unknown Neil Timmers. 

Forrester missed out on last season’s SA20, but worked tirelessly behind the scenes to earn recognition for Season 4 after being nominated as CSA Domestic Newcomer of the Year after his splendid performances for the Knights.

“We had a three-day camp where we were working with the young guys and he (Forrester) just stood out,” Fleming said.

“There was a nice temperament about him, but a number of players did. The quality of person there as well was great, and that's another sign of the schooling in South Africa. It was a pleasure to work with those young players.

“There were six, seven, eight, a dozen that we could easily pick, so it was a case of just trying to identify the key things that we needed in the squad, and we lost a couple as well that we were pretty keen on as well. 

“So that's a big part of it, but he stood out. He looked very good.”

Fleming is now excited to see how the 25-year-old will perform with the “big dogs” once the new season gets underway. 

“The only question now is that temperament on the big stage when you're playing with the big dogs,” he said.

“Our job is to make sure they are as comfortable as possible as young players, but it's a nice challenge to have."