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Justin Langer to replace Darren Lehmann as Australian coach?

1st January, 2018
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Justin Langer and his former teammates. (AP Photo/Aman Sharma)
Expert
1st January, 2018
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Justin Langer has all the qualifications to take over the Australian coaching job as incumbent Darren Lehmann intends to call halt when his current contract expires after the Ashes tour to England in 2019.

Langer’s biggest decision will be whether he can cope with the demanding job that requires being away from family and friends for around 300 days a year.

By any standards, that’s a huge ask.

Lehmann sums it up best – “That will be it for me – a case of too much time, too much travel”.

Six years of being away from home around 300 days a year must be debilitating, but there’s no alternative – it goes with the territory.

Langer has already played fill-in roles, replacing Lehmann on a break as batting coach, coach, and T20 coach.

The 47-year-old Langer is the Western Warriors coach in the Sheffield Shield, and coaching the current Matador Cup (50 over) champions, and the defending Big Bash League champion Perth Scorchers in the 20 over format.

After last night, the Scorchers are unbeaten in four games to top the BBL table, proving a great cricketer can be a successful coach.

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The transition doesn’t always follow, just ask basketball legend Andrew Gaze as coach of the Sydney Kings languishing on the bottom of the NBL table.

Make no mistake, Justin Langer was a batting icon.

Justin Langer and Matt Hayden

(Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

He’s second to Sir Donald Bradman in first class centuries. Bradman made his last triple figure score 69 years ago, but is still the most successful Australian with 117.

Langer is second with 86, Lehmann and Ricky Ponting share third on 82, followed by Mark Waugh 81, with Matt Hayden, Steve Waugh, and Stuart Law sharing 79, and Chris Rogers’ 76.

But the Langer influence doesn’t finish there.

Langer and Hayden are the second most successful opening pair in Test cricket history behind the West Indian pair of Desmond Haynes, and Gordon Greenidge.

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The table:

Haynes – Greenidge – 148 innings – 6482 runs – average 46.63.

Langer – Hayden – 113 – 5655 – 51.41.

Andrew Strauss – Alastair Cook – 117 – 4722 – 40.97.

Marvan Atapatu – Sanath Jayasuriya – 118 – 4469 – 40.25.

Virender Sehwag – Gautam Gambir – 87 – 4469 – 51.79.

Mark Taylor – Michael Slater – 78 – 3887 – 51.14.

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Bobby Simpson – Bill Lawry – 62 – 3596 – 59.93.

Sir Jack Hobbs – Herbert Sutcliffe – 38 – 3249 – 87.81.

So there’s a lot to recommend Justin Langer to be the next Australian coach.

All it needs is to accept the cold hard fact his life will be upended.

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