Image courtesy of: The Guardian
Lehmann has already had a positive impact on the Australian team
Former Australia batsman and Sri Lanka head coach Tom Moody has revealed that it was only a matter of time before Mickey Arthur was fired as Australia’s coach as “respect was being lost” between the players and him.
Moody added that Arthur’s termination had been “inevitable” ever since he axed four players – Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson – for the third Test against India in March for failing to complete a homework assignment.
Moody noted that the appointment of Darren Lehmann was a smart move by Cricket Australia as the 43-year-old would inject the passion and energy the national team have been desperately searching for over the past few months.
“It was clear during the Champions Trophy that the team were unsettled,” Moody said. “They were walking on eggshells. They were uncertain of their own futures, they were uncertain of the team dynamic and they were uncertain how the team was going to perform.
“I said at the time that it was a dramatic decision to send players home from India. From that moment, it was going to very hard for the management to stay in control of that side.
“He had lost the trust and one of the most important things in the relationship between a coach and a player is trust.
“It’s a dramatic thing to send players home because of an accumulation of misdemeanours and to me you’ve got to look at why guys are turning up five minutes late or wearing the wrong shirt. All those things do matter in a team environment, but it shouldn’t result in losing a Test cap.
“The reasons are that maybe, slowly, respect was being lost between player and management and those bad habits were creeping in because of that. So it was inevitable the unfortunate situation with Mickey Arthur. I do feel for him because he is a good man and he’s been a good coach over time but he had clearly lost control and Cricket Australia clearly sensed that.”
The 47-year-old added that he had spent some time watching the Australian team during their warm-up match against Somerset and immediately sensed the positive vibes between Lehmann and the players.
“I spent some time with the side in Somerset and it was such a contrast to a week earlier,” Moody said. “Where there had been a fragile side, there was a side that was suddenly enjoying playing cricket, which is the way I remember playing in any Australia team. It was an environment that was good fun and where everyone enjoyed each others’ company. There was an underlying confidence in that atmosphere.
“Australia still have a lot of work to do. They haven’t just inherited a Don Bradman with the bat or a Dennis Lillee with the ball. But the appointment of Lehmann means they have secured a mentor or coach who will create an environment where players will feel free to enjoy themselves within limitations and, more importantly, to express themselves under pressure on the field of play without fearing for the consequences if it doesn’t go their way.”