Australia’s cricketing culture under the supervision of coach Darren Lehmann is facing renewed scrutiny as the fallout from the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town continues.
Steve Smith’s captaincy hangs in the balance after he was handed a one-Test ban and fined 100 per cent of his match fee for authorising premeditated cheating on day three of the third Test.
Smith has accepted the International Cricket Council charge and will miss the fourth Test against South Africa, while Cameron Bancroft has been docked 75 per cent of his match fee for ball tampering.
According to Smith, Lehmann and the rest of the coaching staff were not privy to the plan for Bancroft to use sticky tape in an illegal attempt to change the condition of the ball.
Lehmann is nonetheless a lightning rod for criticism among an Australian public increasingly fed-up with the team’s behaviour.
An often-jovial figure who has sought to lighten up the Australian dressing room, Lehmann has also been accused of allowing an aggressive team mentality to go largely unchecked.
During the 2013 Ashes – his first series in charge – Lehmann accused Stuart Broad of “blatant cheating” for refusing to walk when he edged a ball to the keeper during the first Test.
“From my point of view, I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home,” Lehmann said ahead of the home Ashes series later that year.
Australia’s 2014 tour of South Africa was marred by sledging which led Faf du Plessis to liken the visitors to a “pack of dogs”, while last year’s tour of India and the most recent Ashes series were also spiteful affairs.
David Warner was more recently sanctioned for an enraged off-field confrontation with Quinton de Kock, while Nathan Lyon copped a fine for his ‘ball drop’ send-off of AB de Villiers.
The incidents in Durban prompted a public rebuke from Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland, who admitted the Australian players had not acted within the spirit of the game.
Sutherland noted at the time that Australia had been far from the worst offenders under the ICC Code of Conduct during Smith’s captaincy.
That will count for little in light of the far more serious transgressions that have come to light in Cape Town.
Former Test captain Michael Clarke said the revelations would reflect poorly on Lehmann, who will finish up in the job after next year’s Ashes series, regardless of whether he knew about the plan.
“My fear is, if that’s the case (that he didn’t know), then the Australian head coach hasn’t got control of this Australian team,” Clarke said on the Nine Network.
“And if he does know about it, then he’s as accountable as anybody else.”
Matt h
Guest
Why, the English in 2005even admitted experimenting with different types of mints leading up to the ashes to work out the best ones. David saker was the English bowling coach at the time. Hmmm.
Paul
Roar Guru
John, my issue isn't about Clarke's stance about cheating, it's about his comments about who controls the dressing room and his attack on Lehman because in Clarke's opinion, he's the leader. If that was the case, as I stated, the coach should have been sacked when Lillee kicked Miandad, when Warner hit Root, when Clarke abused Anderston, etc. I'll bet dollars the leader of the dressing room in the era of Border, Taylor, Waugh, Ponting, etc was them and not the coach, and that's the way it should be.
Ches
Guest
1. Clarke ain't Bobby Simpson in terms of maturity 2. Clarke was at the helm of the team when it was very disjointed. By his own admission in days gone by the Captain ran nearly everything. The Captain lost a lot of authority under his reign because he was doing a bad job. This has led to this silly system we have in place today with all these different structures. He is not the man for the job. Having said that he is "clean" in his record. Something Smith does not have. If Ricky or S Waugh were 36 they would be real options.
Uk_Ozpat
Guest
What is the difference between minty saliva and sugar sticky fingers being applied to the ball? -------- A lot if the sugar episode was sanctioned by the leadership group, the captain and coach (which probably was the case)
Ches
Guest
It's more than Boof. Others under the spotlight. 1. David Saker - Say he did not know, it happened right under his nose, Big fail. Say he did know, he failed to act. 2. Pat Howard - As the Performance Manager it is his responsibility to ensure the team is performing on the field, in the dressing room and away from the game. Good performance means adhering to the rules and performing the press conferences properly. Why was he not there? Moses Henriques may have just let the cat out of the bag with his little comment about probably being "no discussion" between the senior players and Smith said it to get Bancroft off easier. If true (and I stress if) why was not someone there in that 10 minutes between end of play and the press conference to advise Smith? To fix this properly requires more than just aiming at the players & the head coach. The whole structure needs addressing.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
James Anderson is a serial sledger and had been spraying George Bailey, when Michael Clarke advised Jimmy of the imminent physical danger he was in. How does that prevent him from stating his stand on this current leadership-inspired cheating? There is nothing on Michael Clarke's form sheet to suggest he can't take an anti-cheating stance with credibility. For the record, I am not a big Clarke fan, but I will concede that there is no way this type of cheating would have happened on his watch.
Clyde
Guest
What is the difference between minty saliva and sugar sticky fingers being applied to the ball?
Adsa
Guest
Clyde, I think you will find that Bancroft has always added sugar to his tea last, so no big scandal at all.
Clyde
Guest
And now more footage of Bancroft putting sugar granules in his pants during the Ashes series against England. He was caugh licking and sticking fingers in his pocket then to ball. Shocking !
Paul
Roar Guru
Michael Clarke is a complete hypocrite. Why wasn't the coach sacked when he told Anderson you wanted your bowlers to "break his f**king arm"? That wasn't friendly banter, that was a personal verbal attack or the many verbal attacks Johnson made on batsmen during his captaincy Clarke was as bad as anyone when it came to poor behaviour, especially on the field and now he has the nerve to carry on about Boof and others. There is only ONE person who should have control of the dressing room and that's the captain. Clarke's simply deflecting blame if Boof genuinely had no knowledge of this
Uk_Ozpat
Guest
only hope that someone within the England team lowers themselves to Lehmann's level and follows the Stuart Broad comments/threats that Lehmann instigated. Every cricket fan should be called on to boo Smithy for every moment he takes to the field during the next Ashes series, and keep booing until he cries!!
Uk_Ozpat
Guest
I only hope that someone within the England team lowers themselves to Lehmann's level and follows the Stuart Broad comments/threats that Lehmann instigated. Every cricket fan should be called on to boo Smithy for every moment he takes to the field during the next Ashes series, and keep booing until he cries!!
Chui
Guest
Did they take it 'personnelly'? Better get HR onto it.
Ben
Guest
Yeah i found it ironic that he was having a go at the Safa crowds and their "personnel" digs, esp at Warner. He was the guy who yelled "f@#$n blk c@#t" whilst walking down the tunnel after given out against Sri Lanka. Doesnt get much more personnel than that. For anyone to even say that says everything about their opinion on coloured people.