Lehmann laments loss of fun in international cricket

Darren Lehmann, recently dropped from the Australian team, has lamented the loss of enjoyment and fun in modern international cricket. Famous for his beer-swilling, cigarette-puffing happy-go-lucky ways, Lehmann is widely thought to be the last of a dying breed of cricketers to whom life meant more than long spells in the gymnasium. "It's sad that we've lost a lot of the enjoyment in the game," Lehmann is quoted as saying by The Sun Herald newspaper.

"It's nowhere near as fun as it used to be," he said, having returned to domestic cricket for the South Australia Redbacks after being left out of the national team. "The demands are so high and we play so much cricket, all around the world. It makes it tough.

If Lehmann is not picked in the Test team in the future, which is a real possibility, it could mark the end of an era when it was still possible to be a top-flight cricketer without having the build of a professional athlete. Lehmann has always carried a few pounds, never been the fastest across 100 metres, and still thrilled audiences with his unorthodox strokeplay. "No one's going to be built like me again," he said. "I suppose I am the last of an era."

Lehmann also remarked that the media was perhaps going over the top in its push for younger, fitter players. "They certainly have an opinion about the side getting old," he said. "If Australia's winning, I can't see why they should change the side."