Lehmann has no leg to stand on. If he knew of the ball tampering plan, then it's an easy decision to sack him. If he wasn't aware then he has lost control of the team
Australia coach Darren Lehmann. Pic/Getty Images
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When it comes to hypocrisy, Darren Lehmann is a clear leader. The same bloke who made a disgusting racist comment to Sri Lankans when he was off the playing arena was heard earlier this week complaining about the behaviour of a spectator towards poor little Davey, that timid, shy, retiring flower. The same bloke who exhorted Brisbane crowds to boo Stuart Broad for not "walking" is now hyper-sensitive to crowd abuse? Since he took over as coach, the behaviour of this Australian team has steadily descended to new depths. Respected local journalists like Robert Craddock are now saying that they've seen this coming for a long time, watching a team that is increasingly becoming more arrogant and disrespectful.
Steven Smith
If Smith is to be believed (and why would we?), Lehmann was like the famous Manuel from Fawlty Towers; "I know nothing". How ridiculous. Do they really expect us to believe that, given the footage we saw of the dressing room scenes and the walkie-talkie messages sent to Peter Handscomb (12th man)?
On the grounds of sheer stupidity alone, he stands condemned. The footage of him talking surreptitiously on the walkie-talkie was Keystone Cops stuff. Instead of Handscomb going on to field for some other player who left the field, why didn't he get Bancroft off immediately and dispose of the evidence? We might have been suspicious but it would never have been proved. The story would have blown over. Unless of course we are to believe Smith when he says that even if he wasn't found out, his guilt would have resulted in a voluntary confession. Pigs might fly too!
Either way, Lehmann has no leg to stand on. If he knew of the ball-tampering plan, then it's an easy decision. He has to go. Simple as that.
Also Read: Sandpaper gate: Why should we believe Steve Smith?
If he wasn't aware of it, you have to ask why the leadership group would make decisions of this magnitude without involving the coach? If that is indeed true, Lehmann clearly has lost control of the team and he no longer has any serious influence on this group. In which case, he has to go. Simple as that. A coach who is ignorant of something as serious as this clearly hasn't got a future with this team. Being a larrikin bloke who loves a beer is no longer adequate selection criteria for this role. Not many everyday Australians believe that Lehmann was ignorant of this Machiavellian plan. Just plain ignorant? Maybe.
Also Read: It is hard to believe Darren Lehmann didn't know, writes Ian Chappell
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