JOIN US Former captain Stephen Fleming on Saturday declared the current New Zealand team "the best one-day international side we've put on the park," saying their brand of cricket has made the nation proud.
"They're playing a brand of cricket we can be proud of," Fleming told the ‘New Zealand Herald’. "The emergence of the current talent is perfectly timed with the rise of an aggressive captain in Brendon (McCullum).
"I don't think a New Zealand team has played this well and been so complete."Even under Fleming, who led New Zealand in 218 one-day internationals -- second only to Australia's Ricky Ponting's 230 -- they failed to progress beyond the semi-finals of a World Cup.
Fleming, who led New Zealand at the 1999 (semifinal), 2003 and 2007 (semifinal) World Cups, said the current players have the skill to go places.
"These guys are putting together some of the best statistics we've had. They now believe they're one of the best sides in the world. It's a bit like the All Blacks' model where they've got some of the world's best in key spots and feel they can be competitive against any opposition."
Fleming stressed it was necessary for New Zealand to raise their standards in terms of international appeal.