Jake Lehmann has been named Australia’s male domestic player of the year in a curious twist to his decision to turn his back on the prospect of playing Test cricket for Australia. Lehmann announced earlier this month that he’s signed a deal with English County club Hampshire as a ‘local’ player due to his British passport.
The son of Aussie legend Darren Lehmann, Jake has English heritage and can therefore play in the UK as a local player. But under ICC rules it means he’s no longer eligible to play for Australia at international level.
Jake Lehmann’s move to England has made him ineligible to play Test cricket for Australia. Image: Getty
The 33-year-old has played 97 first-class games for South Australia, and has also played for Australia A. He’s effectively conceded his chances of playing Test cricket for Australia are over, deciding to move to England instead.
But the situation took an unexpected twist on Tuesday when Lehmann was named domestic player of the year. He’s scored 426 runs this Sheffield Shield season at an average of 42.60 – the third-most runs behind Tim Ward (443) and Peter Handscomb (431).
Jake Lehmann has been voted male domestic player of the year by his peers. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
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With Usman Khawaja announcing his retirement, there was an outside chance that Lehmann could put himself into calculations with a big finish to the Shield season. But his move to Hampshire has put that to bed, and he’s now effectively barred from playing Test cricket for Australia.
“It was a little bit of a shock,” Lehmann said on Tuesday after winning the peer-voted award. “I felt like I’ve been playing some really good cricket in the last 18 months, so to get recognised by people that you’re playing against and your peers is always something special and I’m grateful for the acknowledgment.
“I feel like as a group we’ve played some really nice cricket, and that’s helped me a lot in being able to play the way that I would like to play. I’ve played the last couple of years with a smile on my face, enjoying myself and probably playing cricket the right way.”
Cooper Connolly wins young cricketer of the year
Darren Lehmann won the award in three-straight years from 2000 to 2002. “I’ve tried to copy a few things that those players (who’ve won the award) have done over the years, so to have my name against their names and be acknowledged in that way is just an honour,” Jake said.
Also on Tuesday, Cooper Connolly was named Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year. The gongs would normally be handed out at the Australian Cricket Awards, but the annual ceremony that includes the Allan Border Medal has been scrapped this year due to the busy international calender.