Former England batter and long-serving ICC match referee Chris Broad has launched a sharp attack on ex-Australia head coach Darren Lehmann, insisting that Lehmann either knew about the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering plan or had no business leading the side. Broad's remarks, made to Track Radio and cited by Fox Sports, come as the scandal resurfaces following the release of former Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja's autobiography Sabr.

Broad's Core Accusation

Chris Broad was unequivocal in his assessment of Lehmann's role in the Sandpapergate affair. “Darren Lehmann surely knew all about it. And if he didn’t, he shouldn’t have been the coach at the time. I think he’s got away lightly… OK, he left his job a few months later, but he didn’t get any sanctions,” Broad said.

Unlike Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft — who received formal bans from Cricket Australia following the Cape Town incident in March 2018 — Lehmann faced no official sanctions and resigned voluntarily shortly after the episode. Broad, who refereed international cricket for many years under the ICC, argued that the disparity was glaring and unjust.

The Hypocrisy Charge Over 2013 Ashes

Broad did not stop at the ball-tampering allegation. He also accused Lehmann of hypocrisy, referencing remarks Lehmann directed at his son, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, during the 2013 Ashes.

“And there he was in 2013, taking the moral high ground against my son, where he played the Australian game of nicking the ball and waiting for the umpire to give him out, and he got given not out on that occasion, and then came out in the media saying ‘we’re going to make him cry when he comes to Australia next.’”

“And here he is, the coach of the Australian cricket team that brought sandpaper out onto the field of play and denied any knowledge of this happening. I’m very angry at Darren Lehmann in this respect,” Broad added.

Khawaja Autobiography Reignites Scandal

The renewed scrutiny of Lehmann’s role stems from Usman Khawaja’s autobiography Sabr, in which the former opener recounted details of the ball-tampering plot. Former opener David Warner subsequently endorsed Khawaja’s account as ‘100 per cent’ accurate, including the claim that the entire team was aware of the plan to tamper with the ball — a revelation that significantly broadens the scope of institutional culpability beyond the three players who were sanctioned.

Notably, this represents the most direct public challenge yet to Lehmann’s repeated insistence that he had no prior knowledge of the scheme. The original Cricket Australia investigation found no evidence to sanction Lehmann at the time, a finding that critics have long disputed.

What Happens Next

Lehmann has not publicly responded to Chris Broad’s latest remarks at the time of publication. With Khawaja’s book drawing fresh attention and Warner’s corroboration on record, pressure is likely to mount on Cricket Australia to revisit questions around accountability at the coaching level. Whether any formal review or response follows remains to be seen.