BIG INTERVIEW: Darren Lehmann looking forward to getting 'back to fun days of coaching' at Northants

World Cup and Ashes winner Darren Lehmann had made the move from coaching to commentating on international and Big Bash League cricket for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and was already setting his sights on a rare winter off a few months down the line.

But then, out of the blue, came some calls from the other side of the world... from David Willey, from Luke Procter, from officials at Northamptonshire - and the 55-year-old's cricketing radar was alerted.

Northants, fresh from the departure of John Sadler after three years at the helm, were on the lookout for a new head coach.

So they made the bold step to sound out Lehmann, a double Ashes winning and World Cup winning coach of Australia, a Big Bash League winner, a Sheffield Shield winner and an IPL winner, to see if he would be interested in taking charge at the County Ground.

And Northants' big ambition was rewarded when Lehmann said yes, he would love to make Wantage Road his home.

The stunning appointment was announced in October, and after fulfilling his commentating duties Down Under, Lehmann has landed in Northampton and is hard at work preparing the County for the summer ahead.

So how did one of the world's most successful coaches, end up deciding his future, for the next two years at least, was in the heart of England with one of county cricket's more modest clubs?

"I was working with ABC in Australia, which is the BBC here, and I loved it," said Lehmann, who had quit his job as assistant coach at Brisbane Heat and Queensland to take up that role.

"I got out of coaching really, and threw myself into the radio role and it was fantastic, I loved every minute of it. Some people here might have heard some of my commentary on the BBC here, and hopefully they enjoyed it.

"I loved it so much, and then it was supposed to be 'take the winter off', but then Dave Willey rang, Luke Procter rang, Ray Payne (Northants chief executive) rang, and we just started the conversations going.

"I have had other opportunities from counties before, but the timing was never right as I was too busy coaching Brisbane Heat and doing that stuff, and this just came up at the right time.

"It is all about the cricket, it's not about the contract or the money or anything like that, it is just about the cricket.

"My wife is English and has said she would love to come back here for a couple of summers, so I spoke to her and said 'this opportunity has come up and I think I am going to take it if it works out okay'.

"She said she would love to do it, the kids are older, the twins are 23 and the oldest is 32, so we said if we are going to do it, let's do it now.

"So all the stars aligned really, and everyone at the club was fantastic, they were great. The owners, and Ray, the board, the whole lot, they made it all work for me.

"Once I am in, I am all in, so I said I will get here as early as I can, so I had a week at home and then came straight over, but I didn't realise how dark and cold it was going to be!

"It has warmed up a bit now and I have got over my jetlag, and it has worked out great."

Lehmann has spent his coaching career with some of the highest profile jobs in world cricket, most notably as coach of the Australia national team from 2013 to 2018, but he has also led Queensland, Brisbane Heat and the Deccan Chargers.

There is little doubt he is somebody who would be high on the list of any of the major counties in England - as well as teams and franchises beyond - if they were looking to find a new coach.

But Lehmann, whose widely used nickname is Boof, admits the lure of working at a smaller county is one the main things that attracted him to joining Northants.

And the fact he will be able to get back to the basics of coaching young players.

"A lot of people have asked me, 'why not a bigger county?'," said the South Australian.

"But it is not about the county, it is about what works for both parties, and the thing that I liked about this group is we have a really good group of young players and you can influence the team on and off the field.

"You can help them become better players on and off the field, and it is a good team group, a pretty good mix as there is experience there as well.

"I think at this level, you get back to coaching.

"If you coach bigger counties or at international level you just become a man-manager, and you forget about coaching, and now I just want to go back to the fun days of coaching.

"I am sure there are going to be days when I don't find it fun, but I am just looking forward to working with the young kids and hopefully imparting my knowledge, and helping them become better cricketers and a better team."

Lehmann has quickly settled into life in Northampton.

He has already settled into a house 10 minutes drive from the County Ground, has made himself familiar with the local pubs and restaurants, and also explored as much of the town as he has been able to.

I interviewed Lehmann just moments after he had been introduced to fans and members at the Supporters Club's monthly meal at the County Ground, and he says he already feels part of the furniture.

With a club the size of Northants, Lehmann accepts he is going to be a man in demand, but he is more than happy with that - as well as the down time that coaching a small county will allow.

"It is great here, even just going and speaking to the members just then," said Lehmann.

"You are almost like a central figurehead because you are doing different things, you are doing marketing, you are doing coaching, and it is busy, but I love it.

"The best job I ever had in the world was the Australian Cricket job, but that is 300 days away a year, you are never home.

"With this job, I am home half the year, I am away half the year, and it works out really well. It's great."

Lehmann's first game in charge of Northants will be on April 4, when they host Kent in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two.