Former Australian cricket coach Darren Lehmann has expressed his disappointment and frustration at the level of abuse England fans have directed towards Steve Smith during his return to international cricket.
The 36-year-old Smith, who was involved in a ball-tampering scandal in 2018 that resulted in him being sacked as captain and banned for a year, has been subject to daily chants and boos from English supporters since his comeback to the game. Lehmann, who was cleared of wrongdoing but resigned as coach following the scandal, believes that Smith is handling the situation better than many of the fans.
"It's unbelievable," said Lehmann. "He's playing every day, it would be worse for him." Lehmann also expressed his admiration for Smith's ability to handle criticism and negativity, saying, "Steve Smith can hold his head high with how he handles everything."
Lehmann is not alone in his frustration with the level of abuse directed towards Smith. Many cricket fans have spoken out about the negative impact it has on the game and its players.
The Australian has been booed repeatedly since his return to the game, including during a Test against South Africa where he was involved in a heated exchange with England captain Ben Stokes.
In response to the abuse, Lehmann urged England fans to be better than their behaviour. "England fans should be better than that," he said. "Most of them are and are very supportive of what goes on in the game."
The comments from Lehmann have sparked debate among cricket fans, with some defending Smith's right to face criticism while others have expressed sympathy for his plight.
In any case, it is clear that Lehmann believes Smith is handling the situation well, and that England fans should be more considerate of their behaviour.
The 36-year-old Smith, who was involved in a ball-tampering scandal in 2018 that resulted in him being sacked as captain and banned for a year, has been subject to daily chants and boos from English supporters since his comeback to the game. Lehmann, who was cleared of wrongdoing but resigned as coach following the scandal, believes that Smith is handling the situation better than many of the fans.
"It's unbelievable," said Lehmann. "He's playing every day, it would be worse for him." Lehmann also expressed his admiration for Smith's ability to handle criticism and negativity, saying, "Steve Smith can hold his head high with how he handles everything."
Lehmann is not alone in his frustration with the level of abuse directed towards Smith. Many cricket fans have spoken out about the negative impact it has on the game and its players.
The Australian has been booed repeatedly since his return to the game, including during a Test against South Africa where he was involved in a heated exchange with England captain Ben Stokes.
In response to the abuse, Lehmann urged England fans to be better than their behaviour. "England fans should be better than that," he said. "Most of them are and are very supportive of what goes on in the game."
The comments from Lehmann have sparked debate among cricket fans, with some defending Smith's right to face criticism while others have expressed sympathy for his plight.
In any case, it is clear that Lehmann believes Smith is handling the situation well, and that England fans should be more considerate of their behaviour.
! hes so right tho like england fans are literally taking out their frustrations on steve smith cuz he was involved in a scandal 7 yrs ago 
! its not fair on the guy, and its not cool. Lehmann is like the only one calling them out on it 
. i mean most of the time they are super supportive but now its just a bunch of ppl booing him every match 
. lehmann said smith is handling it way better than u'd think tho, which is actually pretty admirable 
. anyway im glad lehmann spoke up about this, maybe english fans will think twice before being so harsh next time 
The fact that Darren Lehmann is saying Smith is handling it better than most fans just proves that some people can't handle a little criticism. I mean, come on, if you're gonna boo someone for playing badly, at least have the decency to yell "get out" when they deserve it, not just sit there with a scowl on your face 
I'm worried it's becoming a problem that's going to affect the game for good if we don't do something about it 
. its all about sportsmanship and respect, not just about hating someone because of a past mistake 
. hope smith can get some respect from the english fans and move on with his career 
. People are already jumping all over Steve Smith, saying he's somehow to blame for the whole ball-tampering thing 
.
He's just trying to play cricket and make a comeback, but these English fans are being super harsh on him 
It's not fair to boo him every day or chant his name with nasty words... *sigh* Darren Lehmann is right, Smith is handling everything so well and he deserves our respect 
. The fact that many of them are actually really supportive of what's going on in the game is a good thing, but we should be encouraging more kindness and understanding towards our players