Cricket ball tampering scandal: Australian coach Darren Lehmann demanded an explanation from team

DARREN Lehmann may have been duped by players close to him but the Aussie coach still worries about them immensely. He has detailed how the scandal unfolded in front of him and what was said over the walkie talkie.

• Lehmann: I want to restore pride in Baggy Green

• They lied: It was sandpaper, not tape

• Record bans for Smith, Warner, Bancroft

• Outraged Lehmann demanded explanation from team

• Warnie: Punishment doesn’t fit the crime

• CA boss James Sutherland said only three players knew of plot

• Tim Paine has been officially appointed captain of Test team

THE sandpaper-gate scandal was not hatched in Boof’s box, it was finally confirmed, with Darren Lehmann revealing how the scandal unfolded in Cape Town from his vantage point.

The sight of Lehmann on the walkie-talkie to Peter Handscomb raised suspicion that he was in on the plot, as the 12th man relayed a message to Cameron Bancroft.

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Lehmann then called the group in at tea time and demanded an explanation.

BLOG: How we covered the day’s dramatic events

SANCTIONS: Hammer falls on Aussie stars

WARNIE: Punishment doesn’t fit the crime

CRADDOCK: Break from cricket may be what Smith needs

RICHARD EARLE: Boof not the man to blame

Darren Lehmann expresed his sorrow at the situation.

The besieged coach was predicted to follow suspended trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft into Test cricket wilderness, before Cricket Australia’s investigation exonerated him of guilt in the botched plan.

“He basically went through everyone and went ‘what is going on?’” Sutherland explained.

“There are other parts of the investigation that asked lots of questions of lots of people to try and understand that. But in Darren’s defence, they were findings that Iain Roy had.”

25/03/2018 Australian Cricket coach Darren Lehmann speaking on a walkie talkie to Peter Handscomb.

The below is a transcript of the questions which outline exactly how the scandal unfolded from Lehmann’s eyes, including how the co-conspirators tried to deceive their coach:

Q: The question a lot of people are asking is, if you didn’t know then why didn’t you as coach?

DL: The first I saw of it was on that screen. I was obviously straight on the walkie-talkie and said something to Peter. There was a couple of expletives in there. Then I spoke to the players at tea time and I said we’ll deal with it at the end of play, which happened during the process.

James Sutherland has said the incident was an isolated issue.

Q: Did they tell you, when you asked them what happened, that it was sticky-tape?

DL: No. When they came off the field we were just talking through the whole process. We were in and out of the whole situation, well I was especially. So tape, but obviously sandpaper.

Q: So, initially they told you it was sandpaper?

DL: No, it was tape and then it was sandpaper.

Q: They changed their story?

DL: Yeah.

Q: How has this affected you over the last 24-28 hours?

DL: It is hard to describe to be perfectly honest. Disappointed, embarrassed, hurt for the game. I worry about the three guys immensely. We love all our players and they are going through a really rough time, as you’d imagine you would be in this scenario. A lot of things have been said about myself and my family, which is expected in this time. So it has been really tough for everyone involved, including fans and people back home and around the world.

12th man Peter Handscomb has a message delivered to him before entering the field of play to chat with Cameron Bancroft.

Q: When Cameron and Steve fronted press, why did they say sticky tape instead of sandpaper?

DL: I think it was such a quick response straight after the game and obviously the investigation brings all that out, and away they go from there.

Q: The investigation, James (Sutherland) has said has identified this as an isolated issue. Are you confident in that or are you worried that this has happened before?

DL: No. No, I’m confident it’s an isolated issue and a grave mistake.

Q: What do you base the confidence on, obviously you’ve spoken to them all?

DL: Just what’s been said as a group, that it’s never happened before. And speaking to those guys. So, that’s all I can say (he’s cut off).

Q: With respect, if you didn’t know this time and it was happening, how would you know whether it’s happened before?

DL: (Huffs).. I wouldn’t but I’m pretty confident it hasn’t happened before.

12th man Peter Handscomb has a message delivered to him before entering the field of play to chat with Cameron Bancroft.

Q: So, what prompted it? If it’s never happened before, how can such a radical plan be concocted?

DL: Good question. At the end of the day it was obviously a discussion point in the change rooms. There has been a lot of talk about the Cape Town change rooms, but there is a couple of change rooms - there is a lunch room, there is a viewing room, there is a hallway. And those conversations always take place by those three and then that happens. Again, it was a grave mistake by three young men and we have to try and win the public back now and play the type of cricket that they expect us to play. We have to look at how we go about that, as a coach and support staff and playing group, and make the game better for everyone to play and enjoy watching us play.

Q: With the timeline, they came and told you it was tape. They fronted the media 45 minutes after play and said it was tape. Did you know at that point it was sandpaper when they attended the press conference?

DL: No, no. It was just a case of they’re working through the issues and it’s coming and going. So, at the end they’ve come out, the truth is in the integrity unit investigation and it’s obviously not ideal.

Q: So you found out then when the integrity process (was underway)?

DA: Once all the processes had happened, yeah.

Q: You’re obviously pretty emotional, but what was it like saying goodbye to these guys (Smith, Warner and Bancroft) today?

DL: Extremely difficult. Not just for me, but all the players to be perfectly honest. When you lose three men in your team that obviously made a mistake, that hurts all of us. They’re good young men and they made a mistake. So saying goodbye to them is always difficult. It’s the most difficult part.