In the wake of the ball-tampering saga in Cape Town, the communication between Australian head coach Darren Lehmann and 12th man Peter Handscomb served as the highlight.
Interestingly, the Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland revealed what Lehmann conveyed to him after Cameron Bancroft was caught on the camera.
Pertinently, the head of integrity for CA, Iain Roy has been investigating the matter after it took world cricket by storm on March 24.
“In Darren’s defence, I do want to just clarify that specific matter. He sent a message to say, “What in hell is going on?,”’Sutherland referred.
The opening batsman was scuffing up the ball with the use of tape, before hiding it in his underpants.
Former Australian all-rounder Lehmann saw Bancroft’s visuals on the big screen in Cape Town on the third day of the Test fixture.
“He [Lehmann] didn’t use “hell”, he used another word. That was, through Iain’s [Roy, Australia’s Head of Integrity] investigation, found to be the fact,” Sutherland said.
The incident happened just before the tea break when umpires also quizzed Bancroft; Nigel Llong alongside Richard Illingworth — to produce what he has put in his pocket.
However, soon after Lehmann was seen talking to Handscomb on the walkie-talkie.
Moreover, following the message, Handscomb rushed on to the field before visuals revealed he was in talks with Bancroft.
Moments after, the 25-year-old Bancroft panicked and stuffed the sticky tape in his trousers.
However, the footage was caught yet again by the host broadcasting giant SuperSport TV.
Concluding, the management has decided to continue Darren Lehmann as a coach.
“And I wanted to make that point very clearly that Darren made those comments and Iain was certainly satisfied that Darren wasn’t involved and didn’t know anything of the plan,” Sutherland remarked in his presser in South Africa.
It’s significant to point out that Lehmann’s contract will expire after a year. To be precise, with the culmination of 2019 traditional Ashes series in England.
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