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Australia's new coach Darren Lehmann
has pushed the importance of fun and a balanced perspective on life to
remedy a team culture that has variously been described as toxic,
insular, selfish, undisciplined, and just plain stupid. Lehmann has
openly desired the national coaching job for quite some time, but given
that it has fallen into his lap a mere two weeks before the first Ashes
Test, his initial message to the touring team could not afford to be
elaborate.
Upon the squad's arrival in the medieval town centre of Taunton, Lehmann
sat down his players and staff to set out a simple but clear direction
for the Australian team, both on the field and off it. Relieving the
tension of the past few days in Bristol and London was high on Lehmann's
list of priorities, while also ensuring focus shifted instantly to
Wednesday's tour match against Somerset.
"Hopefully with the enjoyment factor, we'll get that going for a start,"
Lehmann said of the culture he wished to create. "When you start
winning games you have a lot of fun so we need to start winning some
games, simple as that. It's about getting all the lads and everyone in a
direction we want to go. We're going one way and that is forward and
everything starts afresh.
"It's about life as well, it's a game of cricket. It's important we have
success and play well but it's a small part of your life, so we've got
to make sure we are helping them grow their lives on and off the ground,
that is really important to me. Family is a big part of it, enjoying
each other's company while we're away, and learning about ourselves and
different cultures and different people we have in the team.
"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a job I loved and wanted to do because
I fell in love with coaching the first day I started with an IPL
franchise. It just probably happened in different circumstances that it
comes across my path right now."
That path will now include grappling with the various complications of
mentoring a national team in 2013, including the influx of Twenty20
money that has muddled the priorities of numerous young players. The
absolutes of Lehmann's time, as a player who had to carve out nigh on
10,000 first-class runs before making his Test debut, have been replaced
by greys like the lavish IPL money on offer to cricketers who have not
yet grooved their games.
When referring to numerous matters of club versus state versus country
issues, Australia's team performance manger Pat Howard remarked last
summer that "no-one owns the players now". Lehmann though spoke with
typical confidence about sculpting the natural talent at his disposal
into competitive, thoughtful and loyal cricketers.
"The priority for us is Australia, that's every player that is playing
any form, their first right is with Australia," Lehmann said. "We want
to pick the best side each and every time and we'll worry about the
other franchises and issues as we go through.
"We're guided by CA and selectors along the way and that's part and
parcel of being a new-age cricketer. One thing I will say, they're a lot
better athletes that I was in my day and it's just about teaching them
and coaching them the best way to play the game in different
situations."
Brad Haddin, Australia's vice-captain, said Lehmann's imprint on the
team should soon be evident, starting with the respect he already
engendered for his playing career and domestic coaching. "Darren's got
experience at all levels, as a player, a successful coach and a good
person, and he's known for that around Australian cricket and world
cricket," He said. "I think he'll come into this environment comfortable
with where he's at and comfortable with where he wants to take the
team."
Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here
Feeds: Daniel Brettig
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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