The 48-year-old reaffirmed that he had no prior knowledge of the ball-tampering incident in the third test that led to the banning of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft but confirmed that the match at the Wanderers would be his last in charge of the Australian team.
“This is the right time to step away,” he said. “I’m ultimately responsible for the team and I’ve been thinking about my position for a while.
“Despite telling media yesterday that I’m not resigning after viewing Steve and Cameron’s hurting it’s only fair that I make this decision. This will allow Cricket Australia to complete a full review and allow them to regain the trust of the Australian public.
“This is the right thing for Australian cricket. Like all Australians we’re extremely disappointed and as a team we know we’ve let so many people down and for that we’re truly sorry.
“The players involved have been handed down very serious sanctions and they know they must face the consequences. They’ve made a grave mistake but they’re not bad people.
“I hope the team rebuilds from this and the Australian public find it in their hearts to forgive these young men and get behind the XI who are going to take the field tomorrow.”
A visibily moved Lehmann added that he had been stunned by the reaction in Australia, which has seen leading Ashes sponsor Magellan withdraw their support and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labelling the scandal a “shocking affront to Australia”.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Lehmann said. “Watching the two young men [Smith and Bancroft] on social media… and I’m sure David will have experienced the same.
Read More
“Hopefully the game gets back to the game of cricket. It’s a game to be loved and enjoyed and I’ve had a great time coaching in my career. Coaching the Australian cricket team is a real high.
“I’m looking forward to having some time off and [thinking] what’s the next step for me. I’d love to stay involved in the game because I love it so much.”
Lehmann, who played 27 Tests for Australia, was appointed head coach of the team in June 2013 and oversaw a 5-0 clean sweep over England in the 2013-14 Ashes.
His contract was due to expire in 2019.
