Sutherland gives clean chit to Lehmann

Sutherland gives clean chit to Lehmann

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James Sutherland defended the Cricket Australia investigation team’s finding that Darren Lehmann, the head coach, had no role to play in the ball-tampering scandal – allegedly planned by Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

Many from the cricket fraternity have found it hard to believe that Lehmann knew nothing about the ploy, especially after he was seen talking to Peter Handscomb, the substitute, over a walkie-talkie few seconds after the incident was shown on the big screen. Handscomb then went onto the field and said something to Bancroft, after which the opening batsman hid the sandpaper inside his trousers.

Sutherland, the CA chief executive, divulged on Wednesday (March 28), that Lehmann was as shocked as the entire community.

“I don’t want to get too involved in the specific comments or findings of the review, but I do, in Darren’s defence, want to clarify that specific matter,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“I want to say that he sent a message to say ‘What in the hell is going on?’ he didn’t use hell, he used another word. He brought everyone into the room when the next break was. He basically went through everyone and went ‘what is going on?’ That was found to be, through Iain Roy’s (the body’s head of integrity) investigation, a fact. I want 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 about the plan.”

While Smith and Warner were banned from playing domestic and international cricket for their country for 12 months, Bancroft too was handed over a nine-month suspension. Both Smith and Bancroft will now not be considered for leadership positions for two years, while Warner, who has been charged with developing the entire plan, will not be considered to lead Australia at all in the future.

Sutherland also revealed that the investigation team found no other evidence that proved this team has been involved in any similar incidents in the past. “I don’t think that there’s any evidence that we’ve seen or heard during the investigation,” he claimed.

“Clearly, the primary focus of his investigation was very much about the events of Cape Town, but also a part of his discussions and responsibilities was to ask questions more broadly. If there are credible allegations or suggestions to the contrary, we have a responsibility to instigate. It doesn’t necessarily stop here, but at the same time through the investigations that far that it does appear to be an isolated incident.”