Tuesday 25 June 2013 10:51, UK
Former England skipper Andrew Strauss says Darren Lehmann's appointment as Australia head coach could galvanise the tourists this summer.
Lehmann, played 27 Tests and 117 one-day internationals for Australia between 1996 and 2005, and he has since been successfully involved with the Brisbane Heat and Kings XI Punjab as a coach. "It's a challenge for all of the playing group. I'm excited by the challenge, looking forward to working with captain Michael Clarke and the team, and seeing them enjoy some success on this tour," Lehmann said. "It's important to talk about the game whether it's with a beer or a Diet Coke. "It's going to be an exciting journey for all the players and support staff and we'll meet that head-on." Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the appointment didn't take too much time to consider. He added: "Darren Lehmann is to us the obvious choice to come in and replace Mickey. "As a cricketer and a coach he has an outstanding record and is highly regarded within cricket circles." Sky Sports Ashes HD will show exclusively live ball-by-ball coverage of the Investec Ashes this summer. Find out more about our coverage and how you can tune in here.