Australia coach Darren Lehmann urged fans to “get stuck into” Stuart Broad during the return Ashes series Down Under and send the England bowler home in tears because of his “blatant cheating” during the first Test last month.
Broad refused to walk – and escaped being dismissed – after clearly edging a delivery from spinner Ashton Agar to first slip during a Test at Trent Bridge, which England went on to win.
“I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole (Australian) summer and I hope he cries and he goes home,” Lehmann said in an interview with Australian radio station Triple M. “I just hope everyone gets stuck into him because the way he’s carried on and the way he’s commented in public about it is ridiculous.”
Broad acknowledged this week that he knew he nicked the ball behind but still waited for the umpire’s decision, which many believe is against the spirit of cricket. Australia couldn’t challenge the decision because the team had used up its reviews.
“Certainly our players haven’t forgotten, they’re calling him everything under the sun as they go past,” Lehmann said. “I hope the Australian public are the same because that was just blatant cheating. I don’t advocate walking but when you hit it to first slip, it’s pretty hard.”
Lehmann was speaking ahead of the fifth and final Test at The Oval. England is 3-0 ahead in the series and has already retained the urn.
The return series starts in November at the Gabba in Brisbane.
