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Darren Lehmann: Cricket and coaching career

Darren Lehmann is reportedly set to resign as Australia’s national cricket coach.

After the ball tampering scandal, his position as coach is in jeopardy.

Currently, Mr Lehmann has not spoken publicly on the scandal.

Who is Darren Lehmann?

Darren Lehmann was born on February 5, 1970 in Gawler, South Australia.

He formerly played cricket for Australia and is currently the coach of the Australian cricket team.

In Mr Lehmann’s cricket days, he was known for his left handed bats and slow left arm orthodox bowls.

Between 1996 and 2007, he played in 27 Test matches and 117 ODI series.

Mr Lehmann’s is also known as ‘Boof’. According to The Daily Telegraph the nickname was given to him by a friend in Year 8 because “he had a boofhead”.

Cricket career

Early days

Mr Lehmann left school at the age of 16 to work for Holden on the assembly line. He was selected in the first intake for the Australian Cricket Academy but declined the offer.

At 17 years old, he played for South Australia in one match against Victoria at the MCG. This was due to Tim May and Peter Sleep being selected for the national team. When they returned, he did not play any more games.

In 1988-1989, Mr Lehmann was asked to play for South Australia as they were on the bottom of the ladder. During this match, Mr Lehmann was knocked unconscious by being struck in the right temple.

Darren Lehmann joins in during a net session ahead of the third NatWest One Day International Series in 2013.

Darren Lehmann joins in during a net session ahead of the third NatWest One Day International Series in 2013. Photo: Getty

A year later, at the age of 19, Mr Lehmann contended for national selection after scoring 228 runs in a match against New South Wales.

He also scored a century against the New Zealand cricket team and was drafted to play for the Australian squad for the New Year’s Test against Pakistan.

He was asked to move to Victoria to play district cricket for Carlton and the Victorian state team but Mr Lehmann believed he had a better chance for international selection and moved back to South Australia.

Later days

Mr Lehmann went on to play domestic cricket for South Australia and was the captain from 1998-2007. He also played for Yorkshire in England and was the captain in 2002.

In November 2007, Mr Lehmann announced his retirement due to persistent injuries. He said he had “physically” and “mentally” had enough.

“To be perfectly honest, I think I’m playing well enough at this level still, but the injuries are just getting too much and it’s getting harder to get out of bed,” he told The Telegraph.

He currently holds the record for the most runs (12,971) in the history of the Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup.

Coaching career

Mr Lehmann coached two Indian Premier league teams, including the Deccan Chargers from 2009-2012 and King X| Punjab in 2013.

He also coached KFC Big Bash’s Queensland side in 2010-2011.

In June 2013, Mr Lehmann was appointed the head coach of the Australian cricket team, replacing Mickey Arthur.

Mr Lehmann’s debut as head coach was in the Ashes in England. Australia lost 3-0 but won the ODI series.

Personal life

Mr Lehmann is married to Andrea White who is the sister of Craig White, Mr Lehmann’s Victorian and Yorkshire teammate.

They have four children together including Jake, Tori and twins Amy and Ethan.

Just like his father, Jake went on to become an Australian cricketer who currently plays for South Australia. He began his career in 2014 and scored a double century in his second season.

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