Darren Lehmann, the former coach of Australia, has expressed his disapproval of the taunts aimed at skipper Steve Smith during the first Ashes Test and disclosed that he continues to receive criticism due to the notorious Sandpapergate episode. After the historic Cape Town Test match against South Africa in March 2018, Lehmann, who had led Australia to Ashes triumphs in 2013–14 and 2017–18, resigned.
Cricket Australia punished Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft for their involvement in ball tampering as a result of the incident. Lehmann, who was exonerated of any misconduct, stated that he and Smith are still dealing with the scandal’s aftereffects nearly eight years later.
“It’s incredible how much abuse you receive every day. I might have copped it 20 or 30 times yesterday. It’s clear that we erred, but we paid the price—it verges on abuse. To be quite honest, it’s not good for your mental health,” Lehmann stated on ABC Radio.
Lehmann criticised the Barmy Army for their actions and voiced compassion for Steve Smith, who captained the team during the victory in Perth in Pat Cummins’ absence. He also criticised the degree of sledging directed at the Australian player.
Since Steve Smith continues to play every day, the abuse he receives would be far worse for him.
In England, people simply never forget. They seem to have never acted improperly in their lives. “The Barmy Army should be better than that, and most of them are. The only people who act like pork chops are the ones who drink too much,” Lehmann added.
Steve Smith made a spectacular comeback to competitive cricket during the 2019 Ashes series in England after serving his ban. Since then, he has been in excellent form and has occasionally captained the team in Cummins’ absence. He guided his team wonderfully to a 1-0 series lead in the first Test in Perth, doing the same.
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