There could be something more at play than what meets the eye.
Recently, Stephen Fleming announced his decision to step down as the coach of the men’s Hundred team Southern Brave, citing personal reasons.
Although Fleming’s reasoning for relinquishing the role is pretty straightforward, there could be something more at play than what meets the eye.
Following his decision, Fleming said, “I absolutely loved my time at Southern Brave, working in the Hundred and working with a great group of people at Utilita Bowl. We got close to winning a couple of times so it’s difficult to step down but for family reasons I need to be able to dedicate more time to being at home this season. I wish everyone at Southern Brave the best for 2025.”
By deciding to resign, the former New Zealand cricketer now avoids a situation of conflict of interest in which he would coach a team partly owned by a rival IPL franchise, given his long-term association with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). For the unversed, Hampshire was acquired by the GMR Group, co-owners of the Delhi Capitals last year and is expected to become the primary shareholder of the Southern Brave this year.
Notably, Stephen Fleming has been coaching CSK since 2009 and has also taken charge of their affiliated franchises in Major League Cricket (Texas Super Kings) and the SA20 (Joburg Super Kings), where he is currently.
On the other hand, Fleming will now be replaced by Adi Birrell at Southern Brave, who will take over the coaching reins from the Kiwi. Birrell has recently found success in franchise cricket, guiding Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) to consecutive SA20 championship victories.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
