Lehmann - 'I'm the last of my kind'

Darren Lehmann, the Australian batsman, has insisted that he is the last of his kind of cricketer - the drinking and smoking sort - and has also promised he will be putting the booze on the backburner for a while.

Talking to the media today in Adelaide ahead of Australia's two-Test series against Sri Lanka, a slimmer Lehmann cited less beer and plenty of bowling for Yorkshire in the English County Championship as the reasons for his healthier appearance.

Lehmann, 34, said that Craig White, his Yorkshire captain and brother-in-law, had been a helping influence. "He keeps chucking me the ball, which is an absolute pain in the arse," he said. "But I enjoy bowling, it breaks the day up, and I wish I took it up earlier, obviously, it would have been good.

"We've been playing a lot of cricket over the last six months and obviously Yorkshire play every day," he added. "So, it's been really busy and I feel in really good nick, so hopefully I'll keep that [weight] off for a while and keep the beers out of the cupboard for a bit."

Lehmann, who has played only 18 Tests but 102 one-dayers, also said that a new wave of professionalism was coming through in the game, and he has had to adapt to that. "To be perfectly honest, I'm probably the last of that bunch that played a little bit overweight and enjoyed a beer and a cigarette, which is good," he said. "That's the way it's changing, it's turned into a more professional sport."

His position as captain of South Australia also helped him. "I know here at the SACA we're trying to develop a culture where we're going to be as fit and strong as we can," he said. "As a leader you've probably got to do that as well."