Ashes: Darren Lehmann wants legends like Shane Warne more...

Ashes: Darren Lehmann wants legends like Shane Warne more involved with Australian Test side
By James Maasdorp
Updated 13 minutes ago


PHOTO: Ashes challenge ... new Australia head coach Darren Lehmann (R) (Getty Images: Michael Steele)
RELATED STORY: 'Train-driver' Arthur absolves players of blameRELATED STORY: Lehmann to lead Australia into AshesRELATED STORY: Clarke quits as selector after Arthur sackingRELATED STORY: Arthur sacked as Australia cricket coach
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Darren Lehmann says he wants past legends like Shane Warne to play a greater role in guiding an inexperienced Australia side to reach the summit of world cricket once more.

Lehmann replaced Mickey Arthur as Australia's head coach after Arthur was sacked following off-field discipline issues and a disastrous tour of India.

Meanwhile, Test captain Michael Clarke has stepped aside as a team selector in the wake of Arthur's sacking.

And the new coach says having the likes of Warne more involved in a mentoring capacity for his side will help the team mature ahead of a tough, marathon Ashes campaign.

"We'd love him in the room, wouldn't we?" Lehmann said of Warne at a Monday night news conference.

"The past legends is what we're about as well, having guys involved in our current structure, and having some sort of input.

"You don't have a guy take 700 Test wickets and not use him if he's around the place.

"He's always welcome as is anyone who has represented Australia in our dressing rooms.

"We'll be looking at the past players and using their knowledge and looking for guidance and advice along the way."

Australia's winless exit from the one-day Champions Trophy this month was overshadowed by big-hitting batsman David Warner punching England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.

[Shane Warne] is always welcome as is anyone who has represented Australia in our dressing rooms.
Darren Lehmann
Lehmann says he plans to bring an open, honest approach to tackling discipline problems.

"It's all about honesty, dealing with anything that comes up straight away, leaving no stone unturned and making sure you've dealt with every issue straight away," Lehmann said.

"I care about the players, there's no doubt about that. You must make sure you're looking after the players in the best way you can."

Lehmann's challenge with Ashes a fortnight away

Darren Lehmann factbox


Born February 5, 1970 in Gawler, South Australia. Better known as "Boof"

Coaching career
Coached Queensland since 2010
Won the Sheffield Shield and one-day title with Queensland
Coached Brisbane Heat to the Twenty20 Big Bash League championship
Won Indian Premier League title with Deccan Chargers in 2009
Coached Kings XI Punjab in 2013
Coached Australia A side on current tour of England
Lehmann has been in charge of Australia A's tour of the British Isles, guiding the side to wins over Scotland, Ireland and Gloucestershire over the past two-and-a-half weeks.

His appointment and Arthur's axing comes just a fortnight from the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, but Lehmann says he is unfazed by the proximity of the series.

With the Ashes so close, Lehmann believes the timing of the appointment is a challenge he is raring to meet and says the long-term aim is resurrecting Australia's penchant for aggressive, entertaining cricket.

"It's a challenge for all the playing group and everyone involved in Cricket Australia," he said.

"The team is going to play a certain way, we're going to play an aggressive brand of cricket, that entertains fans but also gets the job done on and off the field.

"I'm excited by the challenge and certainly looking forward to working with Michael [Clarke] closely, and the rest of the team and looking forward to them to having success throughout this tour."

Clarke demands improvement

...the most important thing for me and this team is that we stay very focussed on our performances and make sure we are performing a lot better than we have done so far on this tour.
Michael Clarke
Test captain Clarke, sitting alongside Lehmann, said he and his players shared the responsibility of improving standards to become the world's number one team again.

He says losing experienced players over the years is no excuse for the team's dramatic drop in performances.

"We have no excuses. It's very simple, I think the Australian public and us as players want to have success," Clarke said.

"We know what the expectations and standards are off the field as well with regards to behaviour and we have no excuses for not upholding those values.

"No doubt we have a young team, a less experienced team after losing Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting but that's not an excuse."

Clarke said he was shocked by Arthur's sacking, but that it is time to move on under Lehmann's leadership.

"Everybody was shocked at the time," he said.

"It was about allowing that to sink in and for me personally to keep my focus on what's important as a player and what our priority is and why we're here - and that's having success on this Ashes tour.

"That's the most important thing for me and this team is that we stay very focussed on our performances and make sure we are performing a lot better than we have done so far on this tour and a lot better than we did on our recent tour to India."


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-25/lehmann-wants-more-input-from-past-legends/4777978