Former Australian coach speaks about the surgery that changed his life forever!

Darren Lehmann, the former coach of the Australian Men’s cricket team, has recently opened up about his life-changing surgery. He revealed that for once he was sure that he wouldn’t be alive for his 51st birthday after undergoing the surgery that took place on his 50th birthday. 

It was the early hours of February 4 of this year, when Lehmann felt something unusual. To quote him, he said, “I was having cold sweats, and it felt like someone was pushing down on top of my chest.”

At that time he was residing at the Sea World resort in Gold coast. He immediately called up the medical officer of the resort and arranged for an ambulance out of there. 

The following day, on his 50th birthday, Lehmann underwent heart surgery. This was after an angiogram showed that there were three blockages in blood vessels in his heart.

The surgery took place in Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital and was performed by Dr. Peter Tresar. Earlier to that he was taken to the Gold Coast’s Private Hospital. Lehmann was spending a holiday with his elder son, Jake at the time when this incident occurred.

On recollecting his experience at the hospitals, Lehmann said that it was truly life-changing for him. Commenting on this he said, “Not knowing what was wrong… it’s always the not knowing (that’s hardest); once you know, it’s okay – you start to get some answers, start to get some confidence from the surgeons and the nurses.”

Lehmann was the man who resurrected the Australian team and led the renaissance from the front. After the crushing 4-0 defeat in the India tour followed by the Ashes in 2013, it was he who put the team back on track. Under his guidance, the Australian team went on to win back the Ashes from England with a 5-0 whitewash and beat South Africa to reclaim the number one test ranking.

It was Lehman who pulled the team together after the tragic death of Phil Hughes and led them to win the World Cup in 2015. But the former captain’s stint as a coach ended on a bitter note with the ball-tampering incident in Cape Town in 2017. Although Lehmann was cleared of any accusations, this incident ended his career as a coach of the national team. 

Remembering the good old days, Lehmann said that even though the times have gone the memories are as fresh as new. He talked about his loving relations with all the members of the team and the staff. He said that they are still connected and keep account of each other’s whereabouts. 

Now, two months after the surgery, Lehmann is trying to regain his health and get ready for his future endeavours. Although the scars of the surgery are still visible, the cheerful man is showing signs of recovery and slowly returning to the normal routine. According to Lehmann, this has been possible because of the love and support of his family. 

Now having fought a big battle off the field, Lehmann hopes to come back strong on the cricket field. After all the coronavirus pandemic ends, Lehmann will be seen to take up the role of a coach for the Leeds-based Northern Superchargers. Alongside this, he is also expected to resume his role as a coach for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash.  

source: cricwizz