Australia coach Darren Lehmann has apologised to the public and called for forgiveness for the "grave mistake" made by the trio of test players banned for their role in the ball-tampering scandal that has rocked the sport.
An emotional Lehmann, cleared of any wrongdoing by a Cricket Australia investigation, told reporters on Wednesday that the banned players, Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, were "not bad people" and called for them to be given a second chance as he expressed concerns over their mental state.
The players involved have been handed down very serious sanctions and they know they must face the consequences. They’ve made a grave mistake but they are not bad people. As a coach you feel for them as people. They are hurting and I feel for them and their families. I hope that in all this the media and the fans don’t forget that. There’s a human side of this. They’ve made a mistake, as everyone including myself has made mistakes in the past. These are young men and I hope people will give them a second chance. Their health and well-being is extremely important to us.Darren Lehmann
The coach also said the team would need to improve their behaviour on and off the pitch in order to win back fan respect after Bancroft was caught tampering with the ball in the 322-run third test defeat by South Africa at Newlands.
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