Lehmann emerges as candidate to replace Arthur: Report

Melbourne: Australia`s coach Mickey Aurthur faces a tough task to save his job following the debacle in the Test tour of India, with former player Darren Lehmann emerging as a candidate to replace him, according to reports.

Besides being a decent batsman during his 27-Test career from 1998 to 2004 with an average of nearly 45, Lehmann has won the Indian Premier League in 2009 as coach of Deccan Chargers. He is now the coach of Queensland. Lehmann, though, has been weighing his options as he doesn`t know whether he would be prepared for so much time overseas, a report in `Daily Telegraph` said. Those close to Lehmann said there were few men like him who know more about Australian cricket system and at same time good at educating young cricketers and helping them reach their potential. "He was a very good cricketer himself and he is trying to teach these blokes about the game as a whole," said Queensland chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns, the former national selection boss. "He is actually doing coaching in the real sense of the word - teaching players about different scenarios in cricket and caring about their wider lives. He makes sure the players enjoy themselves," he added. "That doesn`t mean getting out on the grog. People misconstrue that." Queensland skipper James Hopes said Lehmann would make a great Australian coach. "I think the key to him is he treats players as themselves," James Hopes says. Arthur, on the other hand, doesn`t seem to have been widely accepted by the Australian public as the team has been losing. Also, the coach`s sacking of four players was viewed as over the top by many cricket observers. He shut down his Twitter account this week after being bombarded with a barrage of abuse. PTI