A sign of sanity returning or a continuation of the madness? Mickey Arthur’s dismissal as coach of Australia, and his subsequent replacement by Darren Lehmann, doesn’t seem to have divided opinion too sharply.
The only point on which you may find a majority in support will be that it was hardly the best time to make such a decision.
Post-season, fair enough, but pre-series? And before such an important one at that?
Maybe that was the whole point of the exercise, that the mess that had been gradually increasing had to be swept up prior to such a thorough examination beginning, that to go on as it was would create such a dire situation that it would take far longer to put right.
I can see the logic behind that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those making the choice know what they are doing.
Way too often, in football mainly, clubs fire the manager and the default setting is to simply state that a change had to be made.
Think whatever you want about results, personnel, clashes of personality or whatever it might be, just know that a point had been reached where there was no other option.
As a rule this is bit of a cop out, of a snap judgment being made too readily, but on occasion it rings true. That looks to be the case with Cricket Australia and Arthur.
Those in charge have made enough crass and ill-thought out decisions to last a lifetime and this is hardly a high point, however, desperate times require desperate measures and this is as desperate as it gets.
Quite frankly, this is akin to a business calling in the administrator to prevent liquidation, a path that was being navigated very effectively, if unwittingly.
Suspended players, fighting players, under-performing players, bickering players, average results and rotation policies. There must be more and it’s all contributed to a malaise that has led to the current state of affairs.
Cue the entrance of Lehmann.
Arthur was a slippery slope ever since the non-homework fiasco in India and David Warner’s act of stupidity contributed another nail to the proverbial coffin and with Lehmann, highly-regarded and touted as the next cab off the rank, already in the country on Australia A duty, the cards had fallen in the right order for the switch to be administered.
It would take a hard soul not to feel any sympathy for Arthur who is a victim of circumstance – a once powerful dynasty whose foundations are crumbling – as much as his own failings and there has to be the thought that he is the fall guy for mistakes made elsewhere.
But gone he is and it is now down to Lehmann to right a ship that has drifted way off course.
His coaching CV suggests that he knows what he is doing, he has plenty of respect throughout the cricketing world and his old school approach could be exactly what his new charges need if they are to offer up a level of competition over the next couple of months.
Going back to basics is a mantra dished up by many a coach or captain whose side is going through a rough patch and Lehmann’s ascension to the top job can be put in this bracket.
If it puts a halt to the soap opera that has developed in recent months then the side will benefit, if not, be rest assured that Arthur’s won’t be the only head to roll.
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