Bangers and mash, cold lager and Gerard Butler…. Northants head coach Darren Lehmann on a few of his favourite things
New Northants head coach Darren Lehmann is settling into life at the County Ground.
The former Australia player and coach has been in his role for five weeks now, and is getting his new side up to speed ahead of the first game of the new season against Kent on April 4.
The facts and figures of Lehmann’s cricketing career is of course well known, but what about the man himself?
Sports editor JEREMY CASEY sat down with the Australian on his arrival in Northampton and Lehmann was happy to answer a few questions outlining some of his favourite things…
Also, how exactly did he end up with the nickname Boof?
Indeed, we’ll start with that one…
Q: Where does the nickname Boof come from?
A: A friend called Johnny Gianetto gave me the nickname at primary school... I used to have a mullet, a bouffant head, so it was Boofhead and that was shortened into Boof!
Q: Favourite meal?
A: Bangers and mash
Q: Well you will be able to get plenty of that here! Favourite drink?
A: Oh, lager... cold West End Draught from Australia is my favourite beer of all time, but anything that is cold and lager
Q: Favourite city?
A: I am going to go favourite country, and say Vatican City. Rome and the Vatican
Q: Favourite holiday destination?
A: Italy in general, I loved it there. I drove there and it was my first time on the left-hand side with a right-hand stick, and that was hard!!! But I also love the Maldives, and Queensland which has some of the most beautiful places. Actually, I will say Moreton Island, which is an island off Brisbane. You can only get there by ferry, and you have to take four-wheel drive and all your kit with you!
Q: Favourite film?
A: I watch a lot of films, and my favourite is P.S. I Love You ... with Hilary Swank. I am just a soppy old man!
Q: Favourite actor?
A: Gerard Butler... he did the White House Has Fallen. Great actor
Q: Favourite band/musician?
A: That is Jimmy Barnes, people here won't know him, but he is an Australian singer and his band was Cold Chisel. They split up, and then he continued on his own
Q: Favourite song?
A: The Horses by Darrel Braithwaite, it's a famous Australian song…
Q: Hobbies outside of cricket?
A: I like to spend time with my grandkids, my two granddaughters, fishing and golf. I am very bad at golf, but I like the 19th hole!
Q: Cricketing idol growing up?
A: David Hookes... he sadly died, people won't know much about it but it was after one punch (on a night out in Melbourne in 2004), and I was right there. Then there is Allan Border, both left-handers
Q: Best friend or friends in cricket?
A: Jimmy Maher and Peter Macintyre from a cricket point of view, and there are a lot more I could list as well, including Ian Harvey. Then there is my brother-in-law Craig White! Where do you stop?
Q: Best cricketer you played with?
A: Shane Warne is the best player. Brian Lara is the best batter, Shane Warne the best bowler, and the best fast bowler is Wasim Akram
Q: Best cricket coach you worked under?
A: You work with so many. Barry Richards and Greg Chappell were excellent because of their elite batting skills, then you have Geoff Marsh who made you work really hard, John Buchanan who was very analytical. They were all good in their special way and I have learned from all of them
Q: Favourite cricket ground you have played at?
A: The Adelaide Oval
Q: Favourite country to tour as a cricketer?
A: That has to be England, mainly because of the beer! Also, you can drive everywhere and don't have to fly, so everywhere is accessible on a bus. So it's England, comfortably
Q: Most memorable/proudest moment in cricket?
A: This is a long story, but it was how we ended up dealing with the death of Phillip Hughes, and getting back to playing cricket. That is a long behind the scenes story that is a whole interview in itself. But that would be my proudest moment.
Q: Biggest sporting achievement, having won so much as a player and coach?
A: I rank all trophy wins equally, whether they are the World Cup, Ashes, County Championships, whatever it is, it is all equal. It is the team's success that is the important thing, and if it happens to be a World Cup or the County Championship, whatever, it is what we worked together to achieve.
Q: Favourite sporting moment outside of cricket?
A: The Adelaide Crows winning the Grand Final in 1997 and 1998, doing it back-to-back in the AFL (Australian Rules Football).
Q: Favourite sport outside of cricket?
A: Australian Rules…
Q: Were you good at any other sport outside of cricket?
A: I was very good at Aussie Rules, I was just a bit slow and stocky! But skill-wise I was okay
Q: Favourite sports team?
A: That is the Adelaide Crows. In football it is Leeds United from my time at Yorkshire. I used to go and watch them at Elland Road a bit, and I have got to get up there and watch them at some stage!
Q: You are now at Northants, and Northampton is home to three professional sporting teams. Are you aiming to go and watch the Cobblers and Saints?
A: Yes, I am going to get to the Cobblers, and I am also going to get to the Saints. I do like rugby, but I wish they wouldn't kick so much! I wish they would keep the ball in play more and score more tries, but apparently Saints do play that way. I am looking forward to seeing them both (Saints and Cobblers). But when I go I don't want to go into a (hospitality) box... I want to go on the hill and drink lagers and watch the game!