Kiwi hopeful gets emotional reminder of home before Cardiff fight

Coach tipped to go after ball-tampering episode, with tough penalties probable for senior Aussie leadership figures

DNick Hoult

arren Lehmann is expected to announce his resignation as head coach of Australia in the next 24 hours, becoming the first casualty of the ball-tampering scandal.

Sources in Australia say Lehmann is ready to stand down with immediate effect and his decision is partly why James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, suddenly announced he was flying to South Africa.

Sutherland is due to meet the players and coaching staff in Johannesburg, when announcements about Lehmann and action against Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are likely to be announced. Smith and Warner are thought to be facing the prospect of 12-month suspensions from the sport.

Lehmann, who has been head coach for five years, winning two Ashes series and a World Cup, has not spoken publicly since the scandal erupted on Saturday.

But, as head coach, he will have to take full responsibility for what happened on his watch, even if he was not directly involved in the decision. Lehmann is accountable for the culture within the camp and has presided over a team happy to agree to pre-meditated cheating. As the sun set on a beautiful almostspring evening here in central London, a touch of Samoa and New Zealand rang out in tribute to Joseph Parker, the heavyweight preparing for the fight of his life.

In front of a gathering of about 150 New Zealand expats at New Zealand House, including former All Black Zinzan Brooke, Nick Afoa, the New Zealand-Samoan currently performing in a West End show, was first, singing the Samoan anthem to Parker, who watched on stage, his lips occasionally mouthing the words.

Next was a haka, the noise

There are also few left who believe Smith’s explanation that Saturday’s incident was a one-off. Australia have also pushed the boundaries in terms of on-field abuse under Lehmann and cleaning up the side will have to include changes to the top of the management structure. Lehmann announced last year that he would be stepping down anyway after the 2019 Ashes tour.

Lehmann was appointed in the aftermath of the “homework-gate” row which led to four players being suspended on a tour to India for failing to give coach Mickey Arthur feedback on how the team could improve. Arthur’s reputation never recovered and he was sacked during the 2013 Ashes tour to England.

Lehmann was brought in to bring a harder edge to the side and a return to so-called Australian values. Those values have been shattered by what happened in Cape Town.

Smith and Warner are facing the likelihood of year-long suspensions by CA that will also cost them millions in Indian Premier League earnings. CA is under intense pressure to make examples of the two leaders in the team and suspending reverberating around the room on the 18th floor with panoramic views of the city as a group of about 10 men and women performed.

It was, said master of ceremonies James Gemmell, a Kiwi who presents rugby for British Sky Television, something for Parker to think about when he took the long walk out to face Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Sunday morning NZT.

Parker was clearly moved, hugging all of those responsible, a final act to an engaging question and answer session with a group who now feel they are all part of “Team Parker”. them from international duty, but allowing them to make money in the IPL would send a terrible message. Smith and Warner are the highestpaid Australian cricketers in the IPL.

Both were retained by their franchises before January’s auction on deals worth £1.1 million ($2.1m). Warner plays for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and has twice been the leading scorer in the IPL, sending his value rocketing.

Smith was also among the most marketable cricketers, securing lucrative sponsorship deals with food company Sanitarium, Commonwealth Bank, New Balance and Fit Bit. Sanitarium confirmed their support of Smith was “under review”, saying: “The actions taken by the team in South Africa don’t align with our values. We don’t condone cheating in sport.”

Commonwealth Bank also suggested it could sever its deal. “We are disappointed and have asked for a full explanation,” a spokesperson said.

CA has been told to act swiftly and decisively by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and is facing the prospect of losing sponsors. While

Some of the highlights were Parker talking about his musical interests: “I play guitar, piano, triangle.”

And the attitudes of his mum, Sala, and dad, Dempsey, as a then young man from South Auckland gradually discovered that boxing was the sport for him: “You either train hard or get into ballet. So I trained hard,” Parker said of Sala’s ultimatum.

Parker said Dempsey told him at one point: “Son, I think boxing is a very dangerous sport. I’m a bit worried about you getting punched in the head.”

To laughter, Parker said his reply CA had expected a total bid of about £540m to cover free-to-air and subscription channels for the next seven years, the figure is likely to be substantially reduced in the wake of the most shocking case of team discipline in the modern history of the Australian side.

Until Saturday, Smith was the golden boy of Australian cricket, billed as the new Don Bradman and set to captain for years. But his world has been shattered. His reputation is in tatters. A serious form of punishment will have to include suspension from a home Australian summer. India are due to tour Australia this winter.

CA has broad sanctions at its disposal under the terms of its central contracts with the Australian players and is investigating what happened in the dressing room at Newlands before Bancroft took the field in the afternoon session with sticky tape in his pocket and attempted to change the ball condition. The big decision for CA is deciding the level of culpability. Does it punish players for simply knowing what was going on?

That could lead to fines or was: “So why did you get me into boxing?”

Of trash talk in the often nasty world of professional boxing, Parker said of his team’s attitude: “We like to do our talking with my fists!”

Later, Parker said his favourite boxers were David Tua, a fellow Samoan New Zealander, American Roy Jones Jr, and Brit Lennox Lewis; the former for his natural ties to Parker, Jones Jr for his speed and movement, and Lewis for his record and sensible nature.

“He was a good champion — he lost a couple but he beat them all in the suspensions for many others beyond the trio in the spotlight.

Several senior players are understood to be incensed by Smith’s comments on Saturday when he implicated the “leadership group” as a collective in the plan to cheat. It is thought he was trying to protect Warner and spread the blame, but teammates such as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are believed to be extremely upset to have been dragged into it and had not been involved in the discussions.

What Lehmann knew will be key. He was seen on camera speaking via a walkie-talkie to 12th man Peter Handscomb moments after Bancroft was caught on television using yellow sticky tape to rub the ball. Handscomb then immediately went on the field and delivered a message to Bancroft, who then stuffed the yellow tape down his trousers and, when asked to empty his pockets by the umpires, showed them the cloth for cleaning his sunglasses.

In many ways, Lehmann is the easiest for CA to deal with. It is not short of great former players to call upon to take control of the team. Ricky Ponting will be a favourite, with Justin Langer and Jason Gillespie. All three are respected for their playing careers and have enjoyed success as coaches. Ponting may not want the job full time, but more countries are likely to split coaching roles anyway because of the time teams are on the road.

Smith has already lost his job as captain of the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will replace him for the season which starts next month.

CA has to move quickly. The fourth tests starts in Johannesburg on Friday and Australia will need to fly replacements to South Africa. Smith has already been banned by the International Cricket Council and it is inconceivable Warner and Bancroft will play, even if CA has not decided its sanctions by then.

Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw are on standby to join the touring party, with Tim Paine likely to continue as captain. re-matches,” Parker said of Lewis, adding that unlike many other former champions, Lewis was always good with his money.

Asked what he would be thinking when he walked to the ring to face Joshua, Parker replied with a smile and mimicked a wide-eyed stare, but added: “I’ve worked so hard in camp that this is my reward. It’s time to dance.”

The emotional tribute followed, the guests leaving happy they met an eloquent and humble champion about to go behind enemy lines with their support. — Patrick McKendry