Darren Lehmann is expected to announce his resignation as head coach of Australia in the next 24 hours, becoming the first casualty of the ball-tampering scandal.

Sources in Australia have told Telegraph Sport Lehmann is ready to stand down with immediate effect and his decision is partly why James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, suddenly announced on Monday that he is flying to South Africa.

Sutherland is due to meet the players and coaching staff in Johannesburg on Tuesday with a press conference expected that evening when announcements about Lehmann and action against Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are likely to be announced. Smith and Warner are thought to be facing the prospect of 12-month suspensions from the sport.

Lehmann, who has been head coach for five years, winning two Ashes series and a World Cup, has not spoken publicly since the ball-tampering scandal erupted on Saturday.

But as head coach he will have to take full responsibility for what happened on his watch, even if he was not directly involved in the decision. Lehmann, as coach, is accountable for the culture within the team and has presided over a side happy to agree to pre-meditated cheating. There are also few left who believe Smith’s explanation that Saturday’s incident was a one off. Australia have also pushed the boundaries in terms of on-field abuse under Lehmann and cleaning up the side will have to include changes to the top of the management structure. Lehmann announced last year that he will be stepping down anyway after the 2019 Ashes tour.