BBC SPORT | Cricket | The Ashes | Lehmann recognised at last



By Matthew Allen BBC Sport Online

Many observers feel that Darren Lehmann's recall to Australia's Test team at the expense of Mark Waugh has been long overdue.

The South Australia and Yorkshire captain has steadily racked up records and awards in domestic competitions in Australia and England.

But, despite being a fixture in the one-day side, the 32-year-old has had to watch a succession of rivals leap-frog his claims to add to a meagre five Test caps.

Darren Lehmann & Steve Waugh
Lehmann celebrates winning the World Cup
Lehmann burst onto the first-class scene aged 17 and scored his first ton - 228 against New South Wales - two years later to becoming the youngest player to top 1,000 runs in an Australian season.

He showed no signs of slowing down, playing the first of 81 one-day internationals in 1996, and hitting the winning runs in the 1999 World Cup.

He made his Test debut against India in 1998, by which time he had played more first-class cricket and scored more runs than any Australian prior to winning a cap.

He answered the call with a half century and fell two runs short of a maiden Test ton against Pakistan a few months later.

But he was cast into the wilderness in 1999 after scoring 228 runs at an average of 35.20, as first Ricky Ponting then Damien Martyn cemented their places into the middle order.

I think he's very unfortunate not to have played a lot more international cricket

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell

Lehmann returned to domestic cricket a more formidable force than ever.

He has been named State Cricketer of the Year for the last three seasons and was one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2000.

Merv Hughes on Lehmann

Former stars could not understand his continued exclusion from the Test side when he became the highest ever scorer in Australian domestic cricket in December 2001.

"I rate him higher than the others in the Australian team at the moment," said Dean Jones.

"Breaking this record vindicates what I think most of us are thinking. That he's certainly good enough to still play for Australia if he's still required."

Former Australian Test captain Greg Chappell echoed Jones's sentiments.

Mark Waugh
Waugh finally makes way for Lehmann
"I think he's very unfortunate not to have played a lot more international cricket," he said.

"Had he been given that opportunity, I have no doubt that he would have shown himself to be a top-class player at that level as well."

No-one at Yorkshire would disagree with these sentiments after watching Lehmann top 1,000 runs in the last three seasons.

Former Tykes captain David Byas said Lehmann's presence during their title-winning 2000-1 season was like having Sir Donald Bradman in the side.

Commentators suggested Lehmann had rubbed the authorities up the wrong way when he turned down the chance to join the Australian Cricket Academy early in his career.

But finally, after more than 19,000 first class runs with more than 60 centuries at an average in the high-50s, the selectors have run out of reasons to ignore Lehmann.

And now the unassuming South Australian is determined to make up for lost time and make his mark in the Test arena.