Fleming admits 'burning desire' to win World Cup

Stephen Fleming, New Zealand's captain, has admitted that winning the World Cup before his tenure ends is a major goal. Fleming, 33, will set a new one-day captaincy record when he leads New Zealand for the 194th time in an ODI against Pakistan in Mohali on Wednesday. Fleming is currently tied with Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga as the most-capped ODI captain.

While he acknowledged a "burning admission" to win cricket's biggest title, Fleming expressed concern over New Zealand's attitude towards the game. "The biggest worry for us is that we have been inconsistent in big tournaments," he told reporters. "I think we are a side that gets a bit comfortable once it has won a game."

Fleming, with 13,800 international runs, is a key figure in New Zealand's lineup, and he stressed on the importance of getting runs on the board next year. "I just have to do my job, that's getting runs," he said. "If I do that, my captaincy is better, my decision-making is better, and the younger players tend to follow that lead."

New Zealand's struggles with injuries, namely Shane Bond and Scott Styris with repeated niggles, was another worry for Fleming. "Other countries like Australia, India, England, have a number of players they can call on. We don't have that luxury," he admitted. "We still hurt when we lose a Shane Bond or Scott Styris because they have varied experience. We are trying very hard to keep them on the field, and looking at the World Cup, that's what we need to do."

New Zealand, with a win and a loss each thus far into the Champions Trophy, need a victory against Pakistan to progress to the semi-finals.