‘I think my statue (at Adelaide Oval) should be a little fatter’: Darren ‘Boof’ Lehmann bothered about being made to look thinner than he was | Cricket News

South Australian cricketers continue to spread chortles with their deadpan humour. After home town player Travis Head said he had jokingly told Md Siraj “well bowled” only to precipitate one right controversy, a former legend from these parts threw in a wicked line, quibbling about how his statue at the Adelaide Oval wasn’t accurately “fat” enough.
The two time World Cup winner was renowned for being part of the most memorable World Cup finals of 1999 (he got winning boundary) and 2003 (he took winning catch), and was known for unfussedly slamming or Boofing his way as part of the middle order and his utility on the field and left arm spin bowling.
On Sunday, Lehmann wearing a peach shirt and beige shorts joined in a conversation of some fans, at the Adelaide Oval sunning right next to his statue.
‘Boof’ as he is called, casually said “How are you lads?” strolling into their conversation – something unthinkable in India. The fans sipping their beer asked him what he thought of his own statue, standing right next to where they were chilling.
“Not bad. A bit slimming isn’t that one?” he joked. “They didn’t spend enough money, did they?”
Later speaking to Australian Broadcasting corporation, Boof would get asked if he had any say in what kind of a shot he would be depicted as playing. The bronze shows him wrapping up a smacked slogged six over mid-wicket after a big stride forward – or so Lehmann reckoned.
The peculiar South Australian self-effacing humour was intact, when he said, “Oh I just wanted a slogging shot. Because that’s all I used to play really. So it’s just over mid-wicket. Slog sweep.
“The only thing I’ve got with it is… I think it should be a little fatter.. They should have spent some more money on it,” he reiterated to ABC. “But the likeness was great. It was unbelievable how they did it. Obviously it was a great honour as a South Australian. Not only for me but my family, the career I had. I love the place dearly and thought I’m fortunate enough they granted this to me. And it’s good fun.”
He narrated to ABC how the statue served its basic purpose – like a stadium landmark to meet at before finding their seats. “A lot of people say ‘Meet me at Lehmann or Gillespie’, and you start there,” he said about the utility.
The Adelaide Oval also has a recognisable likeness of Jason Gillespie midway through his delivering stride – with the sculptor having gotten his facial contours pat. “He’s a mate and an all-time great gentleman, a fellow ABC commentator and we get along. And we look forward to catching up.”
Gillespie, Lehmann admitted in jest, had been disappointed too that the Adelaide stadium folk didn’t choose to carve his statue getting his double hundred. “Yea he wanted the double 100. He made the double 100. I never did, though I would have loved to majea Test double 100!” Lehmann mock-seethed. “He did it against Bangladesh as we all know…”
But Lehmann had the last word, an ode to his left arm orthodox action, he told ABC. “Yea he made a Test double 100. But my bowling average is better than his!”