James Sutherland CEO of Cricket Australia (CA) announced on March 27 that Darren Lehmann would continue as head coach and complete the current contract ending in 2019 as he had no “prior knowledge” of the ball-tampering incident.

CA’s decision to sack former captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and young batsman Cameron Bancroft from the Aussie team but not Lehmann has left the cricket fraternity shocked and baffled.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

“To many reputations on the line for the full story not to come out. Cape Town change room is a very small place!,” Michael Clarke wrote on Twitter.

“The truth, The full story, Accountability and Leadership- until the public get this Australian cricket is in deep shit!” Clarke added.

Even former England cricketers Michael Vaughn and Kevin Pietersen were shocked with the decision

“Only 3 people knew …….. #MyArse,” Michael Vaughn wrote.

“Cam Bancroft must be captaincy material … In the Leadership group in only his 7th Test … !!!” Vaughan added.

Lehmann never knew – 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 27, 2018

Only 3 people knew …….. #MyArse

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 27, 2018

Me thinks the Hole has just got a little deeper & bigger for Cricket Australia …..

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 27, 2018

The truth, The full story, Accountability and Leadership- until the public get this Australian cricket is in deep shit!

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 27, 2018

To many reputations on the line for the full story not to come out. Cape Town change room is a very small place!

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 27, 2018

The sanctions will be out tomorrow but Lehmann is very fortunate to survive. Astonishing that the conclusion is that only 2 people apart from Bancroft knew about it, not even the bowlers who would have been the beneficiaries.

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) March 27, 2018

Serious sanctions are on its way. Another 24 hours. Slightly surprised that Darren Lehmann wasn’t a part of the ‘leadership group’. Also, find it hard to digest that no one else in the team was in the know. #SandpaperGate

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 27, 2018

It is extraordinary that Darren Lehmann continues as coach when clearly he wasn’t in control of the team. A meeting was held in the dressing room on a critical issue like ball-tampering and the players elected to bypass him. Lehmann is not needed #CricketAustralia

— Alan Jones (@AlanJones) March 28, 2018

So then WTF did Lehmann radio to Hanscombe that made Bancroft look down his jocks?
“Tell him to keep a close eye on de Kock”? #Bullshit

— JustPlainDarren (@JustPlainTwit) March 27, 2018

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will be sent home on Thursday as Cricket Australia came down heavily on the errant captain, his deputy and the young opener for orchestrating a ball-tampering conspiracy against South Africa, sullying the image of a cricket loving nation.

However, chief coach Darren Lehmann has been given a clean chit for the time being, as Cricket Australia concluded its preliminary investigations on Wednesday.

Tim Paine will captain Australia in the final Test match with reinforcements in middle-order batsman Glenn Maxwell along with openers Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw scheduled to arrive on Thursday.

“All three players (Smith, Warner, Bancroft) that have been reported will leave tomorrow. Renshaw, Maxwell and Burns will arrive in South Africa in the next 24 hours,” CA chief executive James Sutherland told a packed media conference here.

“Time Paine has been officially appointed captain of the Test team,” he added.

Sutherland informed that apart from the trio, no other player in the group had any prior knowledge about the wrongdoing.

-With PTI inputs.