Darren Lehmann: The man, the cricketer, the coach

With barely a couple of weeks left for the Ashes to begin, Cricket Australia’s announcement sent shockwaves through the entire cricketing fraternity, albeit only briefly. Incumbent coach Mickey Arthur had been sacked for not guiding the national squad well enough to deliver the desired results.

Former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann was chosen as his replacement, a move that was widely hailed (at least by the Aussies) as being a “step in the right direction”. While it remains to be seen if the Kings XI Punjab coach can help restore the aura of invincibility that surrounded the Kangaroos for close to a decade or so, there’s no doubt in my mind that his appointment is indeed a progressive move.

Like most Australian cricketers, Lehmann was a skilled Australian rules football player in his younger days, having been a junior representative of the Central District Football Club. The stockily-built 17-year old lad even declined selection when the Australian Cricket Academy was formed in order to nurture and churn out future international stars. His reasoning? “I’m having too much fun with my factory life (at the assembly line of Holden car manufacturers in South Australia)”.

In today’s age, imagine the likes of Matthew Wade or David Warner doing this! Lehmann’s factory days instilled in him a sense of toughness, a gritty demeanour, and a fierce pride in being Australian-traits that would stand him in good stead throughout his playing career.

“Boof” had a rather interesting start to his first-class career: making his debut in the 1987-88 season in the absence of Tim May and Peter Sleep due to national duty, he made just 10 in his first appearance for South Australia against Victoria. After both players returned, the portly left-hander was dropped from the playing XI, ending his first season with just one game.

His breakthrough season, however, occurred in 1989-90, where he amassed over 700 runs in the first half of the season; the second half was spent in carrying out 12th man duties for the national side during the New Year’s Test against Pakistan at the SCG. Consistent performances in the 1993-94 season as well as successful stints with English county side Yorkshire further enhanced his reputation as a player.

For all his successes at the first-class level, the rotund Lehmann got limited opportunities to showcase his abilities at the international level. He was particularly known for his disregard for physical fitness and modern dietary regimes – something that did not go down well with then-Aussie coach Bob Simpson. An in/out member of the Aussie squad, it was not until the 1997-98 season that “Boof” finally made his Test debut, scoring 52 against India and picking up the wicket of Azharuddin with his left-arm spin.

He didn’t make too much of an impression in the subsequent games, barring a knock of 98 against Pakistan. However, his greatest achievement in Tests was to help his side complete a 3-0 whitewash of the Sri Lankans – no mean feat, considering the fact that the great Muttiah Muralitharan was at the peak of his powers on turning tracks. In the ODI arena, two of his memorable accomplishments include hitting the winning runs in the 1999 World Cup final, and taking the winning catch at the same stage four years later. Darren retired in November 2007, citing physical and mental exhaustion at the age of 37.

“Boof” the coach is sometimes tagged as the Wonder-Coach. After a torrid first season of the IPL, the Deccan Chargers management brought him on-board as coach for the 2009 season – and he ended up steering the side to its first IPL crown. He also led a modestly-talented Queensland side to the Sheffield Shield, One-Day and Twenty20 titles within a span of 18 months.

As a coach, Lehmann’s forte is his uncanny ability to build a team culture and sticking to the basics of cricket – the “keeping it simple” philosophy that is characteristic of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well. “Boof” believes in combining empathy, fun and discipline when dealing with the players – possibly something he picked up very well at the car assembly line in his younger days.

Queensland wicket-keeper Chris Hartley reckons it’s Lehmann’s ability to provide a simple, clear direction which endears him to players and fans alike. The coach himself states that his chief recipe for team success is culture and family. His working-class origins are a solid factor behind that belief. Sure, science and technology can give you tools to work with and help in refine your skills, but Darren’s motto is simply this: It all comes down to how you perform with the bat and ball out there on the field.

In some ways, he’s like Steve Waugh, who would take each player aside and tell him of his expectations. There’s also a hint of management lessons in Boof’s approach – he gives his players roles to perform, sets down the team rules and standards along with the playing group, and penalizes anyone who transgresses them. With a national side buffeted by Mickey Arthur’s turbulent tenure that led to divisions within the team, Lehmann’s arrival might just be the tonic it needs to get back to its feet.

Boof’s not a magician – neither as player nor as coach. But he’s just the kind of man you need to revitalise a demoralised squad. One key advantage of his appointment is the fact that he’s actually worked with some of the top names in the side – he played alongside skipper Michael Clarke towards the end of his Test career.

For his ability to gel well with his players and galvanize them into a top-class side, Darren Scott Lehmann is the man the entire Australian squad hopes will help regain their lost glory. For now, it’s wait and watch!