Fleming joins Redbacks

Axed Victorian paceman Damien Fleming and the South Australian Redbacks believe they will both gain much from a two-season contract signed today.

The 32-year-old former Test player, shocked by his recent dumping by the Bushrangers, said the Redbacks would give him the chance to stake his claim for a return to the Australian Test and one-day sides.

And SA chief executive Mike Deare was confident the instant boost Fleming would provide to their attack would be enough to help the Redbacks lift at least one of the cups at the end of next summer.

Fleming, who was also pursued by WA, said his love of playing at Adelaide Oval and the chance to play under coach Greg Chappell were reasons for choosing SA. Close friendships with former national team-mates Darren Lehmann, Greg Blewett and Jason Gillespie, and the proximity of Adelaide to Melbourne, and family members, were also attractions.

He said the Redbacks' plans to have him play a senior role in developing young bowlers was another factor.

Fleming said he was fully recovered from a series of injuries over recent seasons and confident his best cricket, and possibly a return to the Australian side, were ahead of him.

"The injuries are behind me now, I was planning for a month to have my best season individually, that hasn't changed, it will just be in a different state to what I expected," Fleming said.

"I have got so many goals I still want to achieve, I would like to get on the World Cup tour early next year and play for Australia again.

"If that doesn't happen, I'm with the Redbacks for two years at least and winning the Pura Cup and the ING Cup are big goals."

Deare said SA had no concerns about Fleming's ability to produce good cricket, despite his age and injury history.

"We're very confident we'll get two good seasons out of him at least and, hopefully, at the end of those two seasons we'll be able to engage him again for a further couple of seasons."

He said Paul Wilson had been released from his SA contract and was expected to join WA.

The Redbacks were also in negotiations with an interstate batsman, Deare said.

Discussions had been held with Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, but he was unlikely to join the side next season because of international commitments.