Belief.
That success-defining yet at times overused buzzword proved to be the cornerstone of Australia’s ground-breaking T20 World Cup triumph.
It’s so simple, yet so crucial.
Leading into the tournament, Australia had lost five consecutive T20 series, with the deficits shifting from narrow to damning as the World Cup neared.
Crushing 4-1 series defeats at the hands of the West Indies and Bangladesh were enough to shatter the belief of the Australian public and experts alike. The prospect of progressing past the group stage, let alone winning the World Cup, wasn’t just a pipe-dream, it was a distant fantasy.
But you couldn’t blame fans for losing faith, they were just reading the form-guide.
Inside the four walls of the Australian dressing room, however, they were reading from their own script.
A script meticulously constructed by the driven and devoted Justin Langer, a man who refused to let his legacy be defined by the searing blowtorch of the media.
He shielded his troops from the deafening condemnation of their World Cup hopes, and morphed whispers of factions and discontent into a unified chorus of hope.
This was made possible by his courage to be vulnerable.
In the face of scrutiny, when others would’ve bitterly justified their nuances until their tenure grew stale and heads rolled, Langer allowed himself to take criticism on board.
It culminated in what Josh Hazlewood described as a “back-seat” role for the under-pressure coach, with assistant coaches afforded greater responsibility and players the master of their own destiny.
It worked wonders, and may have saved Langer’s job
But who is the man behind the steely gaze?
The answer to this question can be found within the pages of his nine published books, dating all the way back to 1999.
The second line of his 2002 text, The Power of Passion, reads: “I know self-belief is the essence of personal progress.”
It’s a philosophy that allowed Matthew Wade to strike a blistering 18-ball 41 not out in the dying stages of the semi-final, and Mitch Marsh to plunder that career-defining 77 not out in the final.
Two players that could’ve easily been discarded on the scrap-heap of Australian cricketers, instead playing a pivotal role in Australia’s first ever T20 World Cup triumph.
All because Langer instilled them with an unwavering sense of self-belief.
That pair personifies the success story that is this Australian T20 team.
A team that seemed destined to falter like all those before them, but has now achieved what no other Australian side could.
But such is the fast-moving nature of international cricket, success is never final, and focus has already shifted to the upcoming Ashes series.
Whether this triumph can translate into the red-ball arena remains to be seen. But one thing’s for certain: Langer’s men won’t be short of belief this summer.
Art3mis
Roar Rookie
Ah! So the Kiwis self belief wasn’t sufficiently deep and the Pakistanis self belief too brittle. Or could it be game plan, tactics, skill, knowing your role better than the opposition that won the day. Or plain luck. (Writing opinion pieces requires a high level of ‘self belief’ I’ll grant) ;-)
Marty
Roar Rookie
Agree with the sentiments, he’s done a great job, but what’s that saying about coaches getting to much of the credit when the team wins and too much of the blame when they lose?
Gee
Roar Rookie
I have read that about football coaches too, I have always thought that is just a nice way of saying the main coach isn't very good at coaching but great at hiring.
Mitch Bourke
Roar Rookie
I understand where you're coming from, but the self-belief didn't happen overnight, it's something JL would've worked on over his whole tenure. And to be fair to him, he's not the one taking credit, it's writers like me giving him credit.
Liam
Guest
I think it's a bit weird that a head coach can be credited for instilling a sense of self belief when they took a step back and let the assistant/skills coaches play a greater role. Sounds like a boss taking the credit for the initiative and work of his employees.
Kim Hughes 1980
Roar Rookie
Let’s hope the winning spirit and determined attitude shown by the T20 team translates into the test arena but let’s also hope the batting techniques and level of patience, required in the T20 arena do not translate into the test arena. We do not want those slogs like Wade played to get out in the Indian series for example. Test players must be patient and play sensibly. That’s our best chance of winning the tests