Mark Richardson: Respect is a four-test series against the best

If the Black Caps win the ICC Champions Trophy, they will gain respect but not the respect captain Stephen Fleming feels New Zealand cricket is lacking.

Fleming is right. New Zealand cricket is not seen as 'tasty' by the big three - England, Australia and India - and success in the one-day game is unlikely to improve our flavour with them.

Since 2000, New Zealand has achieved plenty in the short form. They have won this tournament, forced Australia out of their own VB Series and broken ODI records but the last time the Black Caps achieved something that really made the powers-that-be take note was in 1999, by winning a four-test series in England.

That series was Chris Cairns' career highlight and the memory of it has brought real emotion out of Fleming years later. Success in England in the long form of the game, be it test matches or just the county championship, is still a proving ground for cricket teams and cricketers. Australia and India are important venues to acquit yourself well, too, but in England, the roots of the game run deep.

A win ground out over five days is still cricket in its purest form and when New Zealand is granted the chance to compete in a four-test series in England, Australia or India, we know we are truly respected as a cricketing power.

We already have a good test record at home but that will not be enough. There is the obvious financial hurdle New Zealand Cricket is facing, a financial disadvantage which allows India's home and away disparity to be overlooked.

New Zealand must be able to win away and that competitiveness must be transferred into healthy viewing numbers for our hosts.

The ODI circuit is extensive and the mixture of results in the Champions Trophy shows most countries are capable of competing at regular intervals in that form. It is a money-generating format and, as such, there will always be room for the big nations to regularly play the lesser nations.

If New Zealand continues on its current ODI journey at the expense of test results, it is - to use a boxing analogy - merely dancing around the ring landing jabs. A well placed jab in the World Cup final would result in a massively important points victory for New Zealand as a cricket nation.

But the big punches that make the pundits take notice will always be test victories in England, Australia and India.

However, in the context of this summer, the respect Fleming should be after and can achieve is that of his own countrymen. If New Zealand doesn't win its share of ODIs, go close in the Champions Trophy, dominate in New Zealand, do well in the VB Series and progress in the World Cup, then it could be rugby, rugby and more rugby all summer.