Darren Lehmann dismissed the idea of becoming England’s Test coach after leading Northamptonshire to a record-equalling third T20 Blast triumph at Edgbaston, claiming that the ECB has “already made the decision” on Brendon McCullum’s successor.
Darren Lehmann quit as Australia’s head coach following the ball-tampering controversy in 2018, and he has not coached in international cricket since. He became Northants’ head coach last year and secured a contract extension until 2029 earlier this season, a position he shares with broadcast duties for ABC Radio in Australia throughout the English winter.
The ECB’s hunt for a new head coach following McCullum’s recent dismissal from the Test team was hampered on Friday when Andy Flower, the early frontrunner for the position, ruled himself out of contention.
Darren Lehmann is not thought to be on the shortlist of probable candidates, however his name has been mentioned in some rumours.
“I’m not sure my wife wants me to spend 300 days [a year] away again,” Lehmann replied when asked if he would be interested in the position. “I haven’t spoken with them, so there’s no use worrying about it. For me, if they’ve fired Brendon McCullum, they’ve already taken the choice and hired someone behind the scenes, because that’s how things happen.
Stephen Fleming, Justin Langer, and Richard Dawson have emerged as prominent candidates for the position after Flower announced his intention to continue teaching on the franchise circuit. Fleming resigned as coach of the Chennai Super Kings last week and has since stated that he would “100% give it some consideration” if asked for the position.
Northants won the Blast trophy on Saturday night with strong defences against Somerset and Hampshire. Darren Lehmann praised David Willey, the 36-year-old skipper who led the team to victory. “He’s been world-class for us,” Lehmann stated. “He has guided the team exceptionally effectively. I highly recommend Dave for his leadership abilities.
His attention to detail is second to none. The number of phone calls I receive from him – whether I call him or he calls me – is pretty strange half of the time. “It’s refreshing to have a captain who is driven to improve his players and is willing to make mistakes.” I just enjoy how he goes about it. As a 36-year-old, he is actively striving for improvement, which requires courage. That is something I am very proud of him for.
Darren Lehmann also stated that winning the Blast with Northants was “right up there” with other accomplishments in his coaching career, including with Australia. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some really good players and win some big trophies – but this is a big trophy, mainly because of what we’ve got,” he stated. “We’re a small club, small budget, but we play big.”
