'We’ve never had as much talent' - Stephen Fleming confident of New Zealand doing well in International T20 Cup

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has backed New Zealand to come out with flying colours in the International T20 Cup. Fleming, who will be assisting the head coach Gary Stead in the showpiece event feels that the skill set of the New Zealand players is very high and if the team can get the balance right, New Zealand could go the distance in the tournament.

“It’s a good squad. We’ve never had as much talent as this within New Zealand Cricket, so getting the right balance and the way you want to play the game is very important. The skill set and what these guys put out, and entertain us with, is very high," Fleming told stuff.co.nz on Sunday.

The southpaw added that the team needs to get used to the conditions in warm-up games. New Zealand will play England and Australia in warm-ups before taking on Pakistan in their tournament opener. Fleming said the team needs to get off to a good start.

“Coming to grips with these conditions will be the challenge in warmup games… is going to be very important, and there’s a couple of key games first up so dealing with pressure and starting the tournament well is a priority." “There’s a little bit of time before my MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) spot and it’s just a great opportunity. We’ve talked for a while about sharing ideas and coming into the camp and watching these players who I’m a big fan of," Fleming added.

Fleming recently led Chennai Super Kings to their fourth IPL title. He is well aware of the conditions and his input will be valuable to the New Zealand team. New Zealand is placed alongside India, Pakistan and Afghanistan in Group B.