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Bit of a shit storm over Langer's resignation

Sporting websites and Facebook alive with opinions & comments. Public opinion seems to be with Langer. As am I.


Ex-players really dishing it out to current players and also to Cricket Australia especially to the CEO Nick Hockley who, BTW, is a Pom


Mitchell Johnson

“Pat Cummins has been lauded as some type of cricketing saint since his elevation to the top job this summer. Cummins might have delivered with the ball during the Ashes series, but he has failed his first big test as captain pretty miserably,” Johnson wrote in his column for The West Australian.

“He had plenty of public opportunities to endorse an extension for Langer. So when he let it through to the keeper every time, it became pretty obvious he didn’t want it to happen.

“Cummins holds a lot of power and must have been central to what’s happened. He’s clearly had an agenda to get in a coach he wants. His recent interviews have been gutless by not respecting his coach when he could have been upfront from the start.

“The baggy green is hyped as the most revered symbol in Australian sport. But what does it stand for now? In the wake of the disgraceful white-anting of Langer as coach, which led to his resignation on Saturday, it stands for selfishness.”

Interesting article from Geoff Lawson in the Sydney Morning Herald

Langer’s rise and fall highlight how broken coaching is in Australia

The appointment of Justin Langer to the head coaching position of the Australian men’s team after the sandpaper scandal was not universally accepted in domestic cricket circles.

It was seen by many as a knee-jerk reaction that had more to do with virtue signalling by Cricket Australia than a well-considered, deeply researched call etched in due diligence. No one at CA put their hand up to say they were the prime mover in his appointment. No advertisements were posted for candidates; no alternatives sought or interviewed. For some inexplicable reason, Langer was seen to have an unquestioned imprimatur to “fix” the amorality of the nation’s most visible sporting team.

He was presented as having different experiences than his predecessor, Darren Lehmann, yet they were the same age and played in the same Australian teams that were excoriated for their abusive style. He had also been an assistant coach inside the Australian dressing room for three years.

There is no evidence that Langer resisted the methods of those teams, so why was he the anointed one to repair the moral fissures? He was installed to bring control and purpose to a group that was spectacularly unsuccessful and seen as wildly ill-disciplined. There was only one direction for that squad to go.

Now he has quit the top job, it is important to dissect his reign, in particular how he got there.

Langer’s coaching successes before taking on the national role were limited to white-ball cricket. He won the BBL twice with the Scorchers, and Western Australia won the state 50-over trophy once. WA did not win the Sheffield Shield during Langer’s tenure, and haven’t won it since 1999.

These are barely notable qualifications to coach the longest form of the game at the highest level.

The full article is HERE




And this one from Langer himself. Pretty classy IMHO

Exclusive from Peter Lalor, Justin Langer's resignation letter to Cricket Australia has been revealed:



“Having been away from home since the first week of October, yesterday was a tumultuous day, and with quarantine restrictions now that I am back I am unable to do anything publicly at the moment, but I want people to know I am happy with my decision and proud of what I have achieved,” Langer wrote in the email.


“There has been a great deal of media speculation on my future as the Australian men’s cricket coach over the last 12 months and this has taken an enormous toll on my family. I hope through this time, and throughout my tenure, I have held myself with integrity and dignity.


“Last night I was offered a short-term contract until the end of the T20 World Cup in Australia, with the sentiment of ‘going out on a high’. After careful consideration I have decided not to accept this contract renewal, and as a result I believe it is in everyone’s best interests for the Australian cricket team to begin the next chapter immediately.


“If media reports are correct, several senior players and a couple of support staff don’t support me moving forward, and it is now apparent the CA board, and you Nick (Hockley, CA chief executive), are also keen to see the team move in another direction. I respect that decision.


“My life has been built on values of honesty, respect, trust, truth, and performance and if that comes across as ‘too intense’ at times, I apologise.


“It is said that in any venture, if you leave things in a better place than when you started then you have done your job.


“Whilst it is not up to me to judge, I hope Australians respect what has been achieved over the last four years in Australian cricket. From day one I believed it was possible to both win and play the game in the spirit that is now expected from our supporters.


“For the last four years it has been proven this can be achieved and I am very proud of the team for their efforts on and off the cricket field. I hope we have made Australians proud and earned respect from countries around the world.

“In terms of ‘going out on a high’, I am blessed to have been a part of a T20 World Cup-winning squad, an Ashes winning squad, watched the Test team rise to #1 ranked team in the world today, been selected as the Wisden Coach of the Year and been elevated to the Australian cricket Hall of Fame; all this in the last five months.
“I am grateful that today, I am going out on a high.


“Australian cricket means the world to me. It has since I was a kid, and I am grateful for the opportunity to play for, and coach our national team. I am thankful to the board for the opportunity, and I will take with me many cherished memories and friendships from the last four years.

“Hopefully a good job has been done and I wish the team every success for the future.”

Whoever the new coach is, he better get results or it will all go wonky quickly. Players, new coach, and Cricket Australia are really in the spotlight now