Stephen Fleming to retire

Stephen Fleming has announced that he will retire from Test cricket at the end of The National Bank Series against England.

“I always indicated that I was likely to retire from international cricket at some point in the near future and the time is right for me and my family to do that now,” he said.

“Retiring before the tour to England will allow me to be with my wife Kelly for the birth of our second child and I am excited about pursuing new business opportunities,” Fleming said.

“A key business opportunity I will be pursuing is the establishment of a marketing, media and sports management business here in New Zealand. I have been given this opportunity by some supportive partners and I am keen to test whether I have the abilities to establish a successful career in business.

“I will also be taking up the option of playing in the Indian Premier League. It is an exciting opportunity and one that I will be pursuing with the full support of New Zealand Cricket.

“The IPL only takes a short amount of my time each year, and allows me to continue pursuing my new endeavours outside of the game.”

NZC CEO Justin Vaughan paid tribute to Fleming’s career describing him as a great captain and player.

“Stephen’s presence and leadership qualities had a tremendous impact on the team and he will be missed by New Zealand Cricket and the BLACKCAPS. He has made a huge contribution to cricket in New Zealand and I sincerely wish him all the best.

“I’m sure we have not seen the last of him and we are working to ensure that he has a role within cricket in New Zealand in the future,” he said.

ENDS

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