Lehmann to make tough calls as Australia prepare for new era

Rory Dollard 05:51 10/08/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Tough times: Lehmann.

    Australia coach Darren Lehmann is ready to rebuild the side around Steve Smith after admitting Ashes defeat in England marks the end of an era.

    Smith is the standout candidate to replace the retiring Michael Clarke as captain, having already done so in one-day cricket, and he could find himself in charge of a much-changed squad.

    Clarke and Ryan Harris have already retired this summer and the likes of Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh also appear close to the end following England’s Ashes victory.

    Lehmann, who has already been told his job is safe by Cricket Australia, now faces the task of ushering in the next generation and it is a job the former all-rounder will not shy away from.

    Asked if his squad had reached the end of the road, Lehmann said: “Yeah, probably. We’ve got a bit of thinking to do and reviewing what went wrong.

    “There are going to be tough calls somewhere. We’re not afraid to make the tough call, but you’ve got to also look after Australian cricket in the right way and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things by the players both old and new.

    “We’ve got to pick and stick a little bit now and make sure we’ve got the right formula for different tournaments, different formats, and making sure we’re not just discarding players really quickly. So if we pick some young guys moving forward… we just have to stick with them a bit and ride the wave.

    “That’s our job as coaches to really improve their skill level and how they learn about life.”

    There appears to be little doubt that Smith will be the man to share the burden with Lehmann, though his appointment will have to be formally approved after Clarke’s swansong at The Oval.

    Smith’s first Tests as full-time captain are set to be during a two-match series in Bangladesh in October, which comes ahead of a home three-Test series with New Zealand.

    Smith has already captained Australia in Tests, against India during the last home season when Clarke was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and made hundreds in all three Tests where he was skipper.

    Lehmann has no concerns about how the responsibility will affect his batting, though Smith will look back with disappointment on every innings barring his double-century at Lord’s this summer.

    “When you lose someone as great a player as Michael was and a leader, you’ve got to find the next man and that I would think, with board approval, would be Steve Smith,” said Lehmann.

    “I think it’ll be a smooth transition. We’ll work closely with him as we have with Michael. I think he’ll grow and be a really good leader.

    – FOLLOW: Live cricket scores from around the world
    – GALLERY: Sachin Tendulkar visits fans in Dubai
    – ASHES: Series win surprises England skipper Cook

    “He’ll be aggressive as all Australian captains have been, but I think he’ll work out what works for him on and off the field the best.”

    Trevor Bayliss, England’s Australian coach, gave Smith his first taste of senior leadership responsibility when he he made him captain of the Sydney Sixers in the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League competition.

    “He’s shown it already in Test cricket earlier this year,” said Bayliss of Smith’s aptitude for Test leadership. “He’s a very proactive type of captain. I think he’ll do a fantastic job, and certainly has the respect of the rest of his team-mates.

    “They know he is one hell of a player, and a very good captain.”

    Lehmann also offered a glowing tribute to Clarke, though admitted surprise at his decision to walk away.

    “There was no chat beforehand at all. I was actually quite shocked at the decision he made, but he’s made that decision and we obviously support it,” he said.

    “He’s been a great player. A few of the players were very shocked, and the staff. But I’ll make it perfectly clear he is going to captain and play in the fifth Test match.”

    Lehmann said both he and selection chief Rodney Marsh had to shoulder “a lot” of the blame for the team’s Ashes loss.

    Lehmann said a particular mistake at Trent Bridge had been for Australia to abandon their long-standing policy of fielding five bowlers, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh dropped to make way for older brother Shaun, a top-order batsman.

    But Shaun, who made just two runs in the entire match, fell for a first-innings duck.

    “I spoke to Rodney and we wanted the extra batter and spoke to the captain about it in this particular game, but we’ve always wanted five bowlers, so we probably got that selection wrong,” Lehmann said.

    “Happy to admit when we’re wrong, you don’t get everything right. We’re really strong on having five bowlers and we didn’t do that this game.” 

    Recommended