Peter Handscomb: Walkie talkie footage with Darren Lehmann was edited during ball-tampering scandal

Angus Reid

Peter Handscomb: Walkie talkie footage with Darren Lehmann was edited during ball-tampering scandal image

Australian batsman Peter Handscomb has attempted to clear up any lingering doubt that he, or Darren Lehmann, had any knowledge of the ball-tampering scandal during Australia's tour of South Africa back in March.

Australia's unlawful tactics used in the third Test in Cape Town led to former captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft being given bans for their involvement in the scandal.

The former leaders were handed a 12-month sanction, while Bancroft was given nine months. Following the tour, Darren Lehmann also stepped down as head coach of the national side which allowed West Australian guru Justin Langer to take over.

While Cricket Australia revealed that only three players knew of the scheme, onlookers didn't believe that Lehmann was ignorant. Footage, which was broadcast around the world, had the then-coach on his walkie talkie around the time that Bancroft was caught with the now-famed 'yellow sandpaper'.

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These images then showed Handscomb, the 12th man, on his walkie talkie apparently receiving instructions from the coach. He was then filmed running onto the field and chatting with Bancroft in what looked like the immediate aftermath of the ball-tampering controversy.

Everyone was sure that these were live images, and Handscomb (then 12th man) was communicating with Lehmann about what had just transpired on the Newlands Cricket Ground's field. We all thought Lehmann was in the know.


 

Four months after the incident, Handscomb has blatantly labelled the vision as edited and set about assuring the world of what actually happened.

"I love that footage because it's amazing how much the media edited it," Handscomb told reporters on Friday.

"It shows me on the walkie talkie then running out and talking to Cam. 

"What happened is, I'm on the walkie talkie, 20/25 minutes later a player comes off because they needed to go to the bathroom. 

"I'm the next fielder, so I've come on. I get put into a catching position next to Cam because we're both short catchers, and I was literally just trying to have a joke with him.

"There was nothing else. All this build up about me trying to do something there, it just wasn't there."

At the time, Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland reaffirmed the governing body’s support of Lehmann and claimed the coach had zero knowledge of the plot whatsoever.

“Darren Lehmann’s the coach, Darren Lehmann was not in any way involved in the incident, (CA integrity unit boss) Iain Roy has satisfied himself on that, and he continues as coach under his contract,” Sutherland said.

“(Roy’s investigation) found that there were only three players that knew of this plan and we’re absolutely satisfied with that.

“And I want to say that he sent a message to say, ‘What in the hell is going on?’ He didn’t use hell, he used another word but, ‘What in the hell is going on?’ That was found to be, through Iain’s investigation, that was found to be the fact.

“And I want to make that point very clearly that Darren made those comments and Iain was certainly satisfied that Darren wasn’t involved and didn’t know anything of the plan.”

Angus Reid

Angus Reid Photo