Darren Lehmann, the former Australian cricket coach, lashed out at English fans for their treatment of Steve Smith in the recent test series. Jack thinks his treatment was unduly harsh and undeserved. Now at age 36, Smith has suffered the repeated ravages of public booing and heckling. People like to point to his emotional press conference after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
The scandal would cost Smith his captaincy and ultimately, a one-year ban from the sport. Yet it still haunts him today. Perhaps most starkly, he is one third of the leadership group that admitted to coming up with the plan for the ball-tampering incident. Ever since his return to international cricket, Smith has been subjected to unswerving antagonism from English fans. This became especially pronounced during the 2019 Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
Lehmann, himself cleared of any wrongdoing in the scandal, resigned as coach following the scandal. He had the temerity to call on England fans to be more civil in their actions. He noted that, despite much positive support from fans, abuse directed at Smith should never have happened.
“The Barmy Army should be better than that. Most of them are and are very supportive of what goes on in the game.” – Darren Lehmann
Smith’s record against England is one for the ages, he has played 38 Tests and scored 3,436 runs. Of late, his impressive efforts have been eclipsed by the venomous reception he’s forced to endure from fans who continue to harken back to the 2017 Drama. The chants and boos refuse to die, stalked always by the specter of his 2018, tearful and cowardly apology.
Lehmann underscored, at a certain point yes, we need to all accept our failures and learn from this history.
“We did the wrong thing, accept it and move on,” – Darren Lehmann
As the cricketing world looks on, Smith’s journey highlights the intersection of sportsmanship, public perception, and the long-lasting impact of controversy in professional sports. Smith has undeniably had a positive impact on the Australian game of cricket. A portion of English fans continue to boo him mercilessly.
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