Hours after Darren Lehmann said that he would continue as the coach of the Australian cricket team, he announced that he will quit after the final Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. The hosts lead the series 2-1.
He cited the emotional stress of the ball-tampering scandal as the reason for the sudden decision.
His voice choking with emotion at a news conference on the eve of the Johannesburg Test, the last of the four-match series against arch-rivals South Africa, Lehmann said his decision to quit was tough but voluntary.
"My family and I got a lot of abuse over the last week," said Lehmann. "Speaking to my family, it's the right time to step away."
He said he took the decision after watching the emotional press conferences of Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, and the bad press the trio—the other one being David Warner—have been getting around the world. "It's only fair that I make this decision," he said. Lehmann insisted the decision to quit was his, and he was not fired by his bosses over the scandal that has plunged the team into crisis.
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Warner, too, apologised and accepted responsibility for his “part” in the scandal in a post on social media.
Cricket Australia had previously announced that it has found Steve Smith, Warner, and Cameron Bancroft guilty in the ball-tampering scandal, and suspended the trio for the fourth and final Test against South Africa, beginning on Friday. CA had given a clean chit to Lehmann, indicating he was not part of the scandal.
Smith and Warner were handed a 12-month suspension by Cricket Australia (CA) for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal that took place during the third Test of the ongoing four-match series against South Africa in Cape Town.
Bancroft, the third member found guilty in Cricket Australia's internal investigation and the player who actually tampered with the ball, has been handed a nine-month suspension.
Earlier, Lehmann had called for a “cultural overhaul” in order to save his team's shattered reputation. "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. The thing for me would be if we take a leaf out of someone like New Zealand's book, the way they play and respect the opposition," cricket.com.au quoted Lehmann, as saying.
While urging everyone to forgive the disgraced trio, a tearful Lehmann insisted that though the three players had made "grave mistake", they are not bad people and should be given a second chance in life.
(With inputs from agencies)