Lehmann ‘doomed’ as CA boss lands in town
CRICKET: Darren Lehmann’s tenure as Australian head coach appears doomed amid reports he is set to announce his resignation as early as today as the fallout from the balltampering scandal continues.
Lehmann has not spoken publicly since captain Steve Smith confessed to overseeing a plot to change the condition of the ball during the team’s third Test loss to South Africa in Cape Town at the weekend.
Smith has referred to the team’s “leadership group” as being behind the plan and denied the coaching staff ’s involvement in or awareness of the plot, but reports suggest Lehmann is set to step down effective immediately and won’t coach the side in the fourth Test in Johannesburg, which starts on Friday.
Speculation about Lehmann’s future gathered pace late yesterday ahead of Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland’s arrival in Cape Town.
He will address media this morning and is expected to announce a string of wideranging punishments for those involved in the scandal, including suspensions of up to 12 months for Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
But while the players are certain to feel the brunt of CA’s sanctions, many insiders, including former Australian batsman Simon Katich, are also calling for Lehmann’s head.
“They’ve got no option but to stand down and then sack Smith, Warner and Lehmann,” Katich said.
“They’ve got no option because this was premeditated and calculated at the break and those guys are in charge of Cameron Bancroft behaving the way he did. It’s a bigger problem than that – he’s been instructed to do this and anyone in cricket knows the captain and coach are in control of what happens in the team.”
Former Australia coach John Buchanan said it was uncommon for a coach not to know what plans his players took onto the field.
“It is unusual as the teams are walking out that the coach is unaware of what’s about to happen,” Buchanan said.
“Generally it will be the coach and captain, in the last couple of minutes before they go to the field, who will be saying, ‘these are the sort of things we want to do and put in place when we get out on the field’.”
If Lehmann, who has been in charge since 2013, does quit, CA will likely appoint a caretaker coach for the fourth Test.
Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting are among the candidates to take on the role full-time.