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Cape Town - Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann says the banned trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are "bloody good humans".
It has been over a month since Australian cricket hit rock bottom as an elaborate ball tampering plot was exposed during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands.
In the aftermath, Smith and Warner were banned from playing international or domestic cricket for Australia for a year while Bancroft copped nine months.
The incident also forced Lehmann to step down as coach - he has since been replaced by Justin Langer - and the backlash from the Australian public was brutal.
Now, having had some time to reflect, Lehmann has opened up in an interview with Radio FIVEaa.
The 48-year-old, who maintains he knew nothing of the plan to tamper with the ball, hopes that the banned three will be forgiven for their actions.
"They are all good young men, I feel for the three players especially. I worry about them day-in, day-out," Lehmann said in the interview, as quoted by Cricinfo.
"I hope they come back and play for Australia because they're fantastic young men and they've paid the price.
"Hopefully, everyone forgives them. I'm sure they will. They're bloody good human beings and I love them dearly. I speak to them quite a lot. It's a case of keeping in contact because I worry about them. They're going okay."
