Fleming keyed up for Abu Dhabi T10 draft

COMPOSED: Stephen Fleming, head coach Delhi Bulls during the photo shoot in Dubai on Tuesday. - Shihab

It was perhaps the calm before the storm. Danube's headquarters in the Jebel Ali Free Zone was buzzing with a lot more activity. There were piles of papers strewn around on the table, some with fluorescent-coloured markings.
It was a day before the Players' Draft for the Abu Dhabi T10 League and the Delhi Bulls, owned by the group, were preparing their game plan. But there was a calming influence in team mentor Anis Sajan's office. He was almost sage-like, and the red tika (a red mark on the forehead), was perhaps apt.
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was all calmness and it gave one that feeling he could foretell how it will pan out at the draft.
Nonetheless, and not surprisingly, the cards were close to his chest.
"It is always tense. It is like buying 12, 14 15 houses, isn't it?" Fleming said in an exclusive chat with the Khaleej Times on Tuesday afternoon.
"You get attached to all of them and you want all of them. We are hopeful. We have started really well with our retentions and you just hope that people think differently to you so that the players that you identify become available to you. It is a nervous day, it a stressful day but it is exhilarating as well. There are so many good players, you don't walk away with a bad team. You just have to make sure that you are fluid enough with your plans so that you can pick a squad that best represents the franchise," he added.
This marks his second season with the franchise (now rebranded as the Delhi Bulls from Bengal Tigers). And Fleming, who also coaches the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, said it has been a learning experience.
And Fleming is eager to get working with new captain Eoin Morgan, also England's World Cup-winning skipper.
"There's a vast amount of experience here and Morgs (Eoin Morgan) has had some great success over the last few years. He's a very good thinker of the game, he's a very good leader and his performances have been very good as well. What I enjoy about franchise cricket is it gives a chance to work with passionate people and experienced people and often, who are the best in the business. For me, when you work with such people, it is an opportunity to learn, Last year was a great example of that and I certainly came away from it, better for it," Fleming said.
james@khaleejtimes.com