Sundaymail Editor
JUSTIN LANGER has resigned as coach of the Australian men’s cricket team less than a month after leading the side to an Ashes win over England.
The announcement was made via a statement from Langer’s management company, Dynamic Sports and Entertainment Group (DSEG), yesterday morning while Langer was flying from Melbourne to Perth.
“DSEG confirms that our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as of the Australian men’s cricket team,” the statement said.
“The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.”
“As a player Justin retired on top after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash,” he wrote.
“Today, despite the views of a faceless few, he finishes his time as Australian cricket coach winning the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Lest we forget what JL took over in 2018.”
After weeks of scrutiny about whether he would have his four-year contract extended beyond June, the Cricket Australia board met on Friday to discuss the 51-year-old West Australian’s future.
Langer had taken over the national coaching position from Darren Lehmann in 2018 following the Cape Town ball-tampering controversy in March.
A fortnight ago, Langer had been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame but formerly reported poor relationships with senior players had led to rumours of the coach’s contract termination.
An external review last year found players thought Langer’s coaching style overly harsh.
However, many of the sports ‘bigwigs’ have praised Langer for cleaning up the team following the ball-tampering scandal, including Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.
“Justin (Langer) has done an incredible job in raising the culture, values and behaviours of the Australian men’s team since he took on the role in 2018,” he said late last year.
“His efforts have restored public faith in the national team, which is a side all Australians can be incredibly proud of.”
His 55,5 percent win record in Test cricket is second only to John Buchanan among all Australian coaches.
He also led Australia’s first retention of the Ashes in England in 18 years in 2019, before winning the series 4-0 this summer, as well as claiming a maiden T20 World Cup title. But throughout Australia’s successful summer it became clear players were not willing to publicly endorse an extension of his contract.
Now the Aussie team has been left without a coach less than a month out from the tour of Pakistan.
Andrew McDonald is now expected to take over in the interim, having previously coached the side on white-ball tours in the absence of Langer.
McDonald is also the favourite to assume the role on a full-time basis with Trevor Bayliss and Jason Gillespie the other most likely candidate. – AFP-dailymail.co.uk
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter