Lehmann gets away scot-free: Baggy-Green's sullied reputation won't get restored anytime soon

A partial verdict on the most high-profile cricket controversy in recent times was pronounced on Tuesday. Albeit, a rather perplexing one.

The Australian cricket team must’ve known for sure that heads would roll once they were caught tampering the ball during the recently-concluded third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner, coach Darren Lehmann, and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft found themselves in the middle of a scandal that rocked an entire nation.

Smith and Warner gave up their positions as leaders immediately, but that was never going to be enough.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) moved into action swiftly and dealt sanctions. As was expected, though, cricket’s governing body left many disappointed with its hasty assessments. While Smith was banned for merely one Test and fined 100 per cent of his match fee, Bancroft was docked 75 per cent of his fee, and most surprisingly, Warner went scot-free.

Hopes were then pinned on Cricket Australia (CA) to bring the guilty to justice. And rightly so. For a nation that prides itself on playing the game with great integrity, what happened at the Newlands Cricket Ground last week must surely be a severe blow.

CA chief James Sutherland, after conducting a thorough investigation over the past few days, held a press conference on Tuesday to give the Australian public, and followers of the game in general, some perspective on the entire matter.

Although the quantum of punishment for the players wasn’t read out, Sutherland read out some startling updates. He stated emphatically that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the only ones who knew about the plan to cheat, while asolutely no one else did. The trio would be flying back home on Wednesday itself, and their precise punishment announced within the next 24 hours.

While believing that just the three of them knew about the plan is difficult in itself - considering the fact that a bowler would know immediately if the ball has been tampered with - what’s most shocking is the Australian cricket board’s verdict on coach Lehmann. Sutherland said that Lehmann had absolutely no clue about what transpired that fateful afternoon and would, in fact, continue to coach the team.

Mind-boggling, isn’t it?

Firstly, how Lehmann could not have known about such an elaborate scheme is beyond comprehension. A detailed plan to cheat is laid out, involving the captain and vice-captain, and the coach doesn’t even have a whiff? No concrete evidence was found, but television footage did suggest that Lehmann was on the walkie-talkie with substitute Peter Handscomb just before the latter went on to the field and alerted Bancroft. And immediately after that, the yellow tape was put away. Coincidence?

Most importantly, though, even if we assume Lehmann didn’t know what was going on, isn’t it his moral obligation to quit? How can the head of a unit that’s guilty of a crime as grievous as this not lose his job? Irrespective of his active involvement. We’ve seen umpteen instances when ministers vacate their posts after a terror attack or a massive accident. Despite not being responsible directly, the guilt of presiding over the calamity drives them away. Is taking such a step too much to expect of Lehmann? And to think that just a few days ago he took the moral high ground and termed the Proteas supporters ‘disgraceful’ for having a go at Warner.

Smith, Warner and Bancroft’s fates will be sealed on Wednesday, with the senior pros facing a lengthy period away from the game. Lehmann, on the other hand, will carry on in his role as ‘coach’ of a new-look Australian team for the fourth and final Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. The ‘Aussie way of playing cricket’ is being laid to dirt by all and sundry. Surely, Lehmann’s presence going forward will not help restore the honour of the Baggy Green.