Who could replace Darren Lehmann as Australia head coach after his resignation?

Lehmann will quit after the fourth Test in South Africa, despite not knowing about the scandal

Langer, Ponting and Gillespie are the leading contenders to replace Lehmann (Getty)

As Darren Lehmann and his players basked in the gluttony of their crushing 4-0 victory over England earlier this year, they could have been forgiven for assuming a thousand golden summers would follow. Today’s press rooms must have felt like Dante’s Inferno in comparison, as the world’s cricketing media descended to peck away at the story that’s dominating the game.

A teary Lehmann had clearly settled on being able to take no more in the face of the storm that’s torn at cricket’s fabric since last Saturday.

Justin Langer 

Age: 47;  Career: 105 Tests, 7696 runs @ 45.27

‘Alfie’ was a tough, unshakable battler as a player. As a coach, he’s successfully imparted his mental philosophies on the Western Australia playing group and shepherded them to two Sheffield Shield wins as well as T20 success with Perth Scorchers. A likely future Australia coach, whether now or in the future.

Lehmann had, of course, has already confirmed that he was not planning to seek a renewal of his Cricket Australia contract after 2019, but his departure will be a damaging blow to a side seemingly going in the right direction on the field. A year out from the World Cup in England & Wales, Lehmann stepping aside leaves a sizeable dent in Australia’s planning for the tournament.

Ricky Ponting, Jason Gillespie and Justin Langer have all had their credentials dug up this week, even before today’s announcement.

Justin Langer, the current Perth Scorchers and Western Australia coach, would be as good an option as any – but he may have already said no. Langer has stood in for Lehmann on various occasions in the shorter formats, and boasts an impressive record with Western Australia. Langer’s native state has triumphed in Australia’s Sheffield Shield competition in both 2015 and 2017 under his stewardship, and the focus on the playing environment is intrinsic to his approach.

Ricky Ponting 

Age: 43;  Career: 168 Tests, 13,378 runs @ 51.85

One of Australia’s great batsmen, and another firm believer in the importance of team culture. Ponting is young as a coach but has the experience at international level to have the steadying influence this dressing room seems to be screaming out for. Success in his brief coaching career counts in his favour, but perhaps a step too far too soon. Don’t rule out the possibility of him doing the job as part of a duo.

Jason Gillespie, who retired from State cricket in the same year as Lehmann having been a long term teammate, was unveiled as Sussex Head Coach on Wednesday. Should his home country come calling, however, the job he’s long coveted could prove too good to turn down. Although, Gillespie could be forgiven for settling on there being a better time to take the job in the future.

‘Dizzy’ boasts an impressive record in his time as a coach. Yorkshire thrived under his leadership, with young players given big responsibility in an era which saw them rise from Division Two of the County Championship to win it twice in 2014 and 2015.

Ponting, as one of Australia’s greats, is another attractive option. It’s no secret that he’s been coveted by Cricket Australia to consult in the shorter formats and a man with 168 test matches will inevitably bring bags of experience to the table in terms of building the new ‘leadership group’ – and taking the team forward out of the mire.

Jason Gillespie 

Age: 42;  Career: 71 Tests, 259 wickets @ 26.13

Gillespie, like Lehmann, is held in high regard in England following his time with Yorkshire. His work with the White Rose County saw them out of a dire period in their history and into an era of continued prosperity, with two Championship titles and a runners up spot in three consecutive years. Having just taken the job with Sussex, he’ll likely remain in the wings prior to the 2019 window.

He’s already won the IPL as head coach with the Mumbai Indians last year, and is due to take on the same role with Delhi Daredevils in this year’s edition.

Langer is likely to be seen as the best fit, both in terms of his experiences coaching within Australia and sheer availability. The last few days have taught us mere observers, however, to assume nothing.