No decision on Justin Langer’s future as Cricket Australia to enter into confidential discussions

By IANS

MELBOURNE: The suspense around Justin Langer’s future as the head coach of Australia men’s team continues as the Cricket Australia (CA) board meeting on Friday yielded no conclusion. After the meeting ended, CEO Nick Hockley read a statement to the press.

“Cricket Australia can confirm that the CA board met today and part of that meeting involved significant discussions about men’s head coach Justin Langer’s contract. We will now enter into confidential discussions with Justin and the outcome will be announced as soon as possible,” Hockey was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

After the statement was read out, Hockley didn’t take any questions from the media on Langer’s future.

Langer is currently in Melbourne but is scheduled to fly back to his home in Perth on Saturday and will undergo 14 days of home quarantine. He will be on leave when Australia’s T20I team will face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series starting in Sydney from February 11.

In Langer’s absence, Andrew McDonald will act as the head coach.

“Despite the success of the team, claiming the T20 World Cup and the Ashes in four months, angst remains over Langer’s coaching style with last August’s crisis meetings about Langer’s intensity still fresh in the minds of the players who pleaded for change. Langer has been left perplexed and frustrated by the process, adamant that he has made the necessary adjustments the players had asked for which has led to the recent success,” further said the report.

Former teammates of Langer like Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke have come out in support of Langer’s contract to be extended.

But Test captain Pat Cummins and white-ball captain Aaron Finch had failed to publicly endorse Langer as the head coach.

Langer, appointed the head coach in May 2018, is coming to the end of his four-year stint in June 2022. The former Test opener oversaw the development of Australia from the ruins of the Sandpaper gate in Cape Town to winning the Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE followed by winning the Ashes 4-0 at home.