‘I need to change’: Darren Lehmann breaks his silence

Darren Lehmann vows to restore pride in the team that has sunk to an all-time low under his guidance | WATCH

A solemn Darren Lehmann conceded he “must change”, vowing to restore pride in the shamed group that has sunk to an all-time low under his guidance.

Breaking his silence on a day the Sandpaper-gate controversy blew up in South Africa, a contrite Lehmann maintained his innocence while refusing to quit.

The under-siege coach also expressed concern for the wellbeing of banned trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, pleading for them to be given “a second chance” by the public.

A staunch backer of his players’ aggressive “head-butting the line” style, Lehmann’s remorseful public showing this morning was a stark contrast.

Lehmann produced another about-face, citing New Zealand as an example Australia must model.

“I’m not going to resign as was said (by Cricket Australia). (But) I need to change,” Lehmann said.

“We need to change how we play and within the boundaries we play. Obviously previously we’ve butted heads on the line but that’s not the way to go about us playing cricket moving forward.

“We need to take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book. We need to respect the game’s traditions.”

Apologising for not being able to speak sooner due to the investigation, Lehmann was confident Smith and company would return as better people.

“They are hurting. I feel for them and their families, I hope that in all this the media and the fans don’t forget that,’’ he said.

“There is a human side to this. They have made a mistake, as everyone — including myself — has made mistakes in the past. These are young men and I hope people will give them a second chance.

“Their health and wellbeing is extremely important to us. They have made a grave mistake, but they are not bad people. As a coach, you feel for them as people.”

Lehmann welcomed the CA review into the culture, admitting things must change.

“The team has been received quite negatively in recent times and there is a need for us to change some of the philosophies about the way we play,’’ Lehmann said.

“As a past player, a coach and a lover of the game, I am really sorry for what has happened. From this point forward we need to work to earn the respect back from all our fans.

“It is hard to describe to be perfectly honest. Disappointed, embarrassed, hurt for the game. I worry about the three guys immensely.”

Lehmann conceded that the culprits had initially lied to him too, before revealing that the tape was actually sandpaper.

“Yeah (they changed their story. They said) it was tape and then it was sandpaper,” he said.

“The first I saw of it was on that screen. I was obviously straight on the walkie-talkie and said something to Peter.

“There were 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.”

David Warner, Steve Smith and Australian Head Coach Darren Lehmann in Dhaka last year.