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NOTTINGHAM - New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell wishes he'd won the debate to retain Stephen Fleming as test captain after admitting his absence from the batting lineup was crucial in the side's 0-2 series loss here.
The 111-test veteran was a notable absentee from the tour squad after calling an early retirement in March, reportedly still miffed at the selectors' decision not to retain him as test skipper after he handed the one-day reins to Daniel Vettori.
Bracewell confirmed he wanted Fleming retained as test skipper, but lost out in the discussion with fellow selectors Sir Richard Hadlee, Glenn Turner and Dion Nash after last year's World Cup. The coach had also lost the power to overrule any decision by the panel.
"We collectively decided, but I stated at the time coming back from the World Cup, in the position where I had right of veto, that I would have been more than happy to manage both guys as captains," Bracewell said.
"But we work under a consensus basis and we could be sitting here still arguing the point, eventually somebody's got to give. It (the discussion) took a long time."
Bracewell insisted he had no issues with Vettori's captaincy in England, but the team badly missed Fleming's experience at No 3, with a career record of 7172 test runs at 40.06.
They started the first test at Lord's with a combined 19 tests worth of experience in the top-four.
Instead of arriving in England on a tour he'd earmarked as a potential farewell, with the finale at his former county Nottinghamshire, Fleming played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) then returned to Wellington for the birth of his second child, Cooper.
"I think Dan's adapting into a very fine leader. It's just that I was happy, given that I know both of them pretty well and have a pretty good working relationship with both guys, that I could work with both guys," Bracewell said.
"Experience for our young batsmen would have been invaluable, there's no doubt about it. You can't beat experience and you can't beat on-field, coal-face learning."
With a lack of experience, the burden inevitably fell on Vettori and vice-captain Brendon McCullum to lead the way.
New Zealand's two batting collapses for 114 in the second test at Old Trafford and 123 in the third at Trent Bridge were the killer blows for their series hopes, after they'd been in the dominant series position at the halfway point of the second test.
Bracewell said Jamie How and Aaron Redmond, despite the latter averaging nine in the series, were a potential long-term opening partnership but there were problems at No 3.
James Marshall was dropped after the first two tests and McCullum was put in a stop-gap for the third when he couldn't keep wicket due to a back injury.
Although it seems unlikely, Bracewell admitted he'd welcome Fleming back as New Zealand eye eight tests in a six-month period starting in October against Bangladesh, Australia, West Indies and India.
"Three months ago we didn't have a one, two or three. Now I think we've got a one and a two (How and Redmond), we've got a hole left by Stephen Fleming which was always going to be a bit of a void to fill anyway.
"It's something we've just got to keep searching for rather than looking to paper over the cracks.
"The door was always open and still is always open for Stephen to stay in the side as a leader and a great player.
"Once the two children are out of the way and he starts changing nappies at 4am he may see the light again and decide he wants to come back and play a bit more," Bracewell quipped.
- NZPA
