Justin Langer’s chances of securing a new contract as Australian coach seem to be super slim, so Cricket Australia should be throwing the bank at Ricky Ponting to take the reins.
Langer’s term is due to end after Australia’s three-Test tour of Pakistan in March. Judging by what’s being said and, perhaps more importantly, what’s not being said, the coach appears unlikely to remain at the helm.
It might get to a situation like his predecessor Darren Lehmann, where he opts out early rather than go through the motions in the final few months of his deal.
It has been well documented that Australia’s senior players were unhappy with Langer’s intense coaching style last summer; after a series of meetings – or if you want to use the modern parlance, honesty sessions – he has adopted a more mellow approach and delegated some of his responsibilities to be seen as less of a micro-manager.
This has helped Australia shock the cricketing world by winning the T20 World Cup in the UAE in November, and then obliterate England to wrap up the Ashes before the halfway mark of the middle Test in the five-match series.
CA executive general manager of national teams and high performance Ben Oliver spoke on Friday about Langer’s delicate contract situation, but did not shed much light on whether he would be retained.
In pretty much every professional sport, coaches who are this close to the end of their contract are either sacked or have no chance of being re-signed, and all parties play a polite dance around the proverbial elephant in the room.
That is what appeared to be the case when Oliver spoke on Friday, similar to captain Pat Cummins after the MCG Test: deflecting questions on the issue.
To be fair to Cummins, he was right when he said it wasn’t the time or place to be discussing Langer’s potential reappointment.
It’s easy to say he missed an opportunity to endorse his coach. But it’s true.
If Cummins and the senior players wanted Langer to stay, they would say so publicly.
Oliver said the players’ views would be heard by the CA powerbrokers when a call is made on the coaching position, as is always the case.
“Justin has done a great job. I think he’s really embraced the conversations that were had over the winter and he’s really evolved and leaned into that,” he said.
“We will work through that [contract situatuon] as we committed to prior to the start of this summer. We will work through that at the end of the Ashes.”
Oliver said CA was comfortable with the current structure, which features an array of specialist assistants supporting the head coach.
He did not close the door on the potential of splitting head coaches between the three formats and said they would ‘continue to monitor and evolve that as we need to into the future’, with the COVID-19 pandemic creating a packed schedule.
Australia is due to play an ODI series in New Zealand while the Test team is in Pakistan.
Assuming Langer is not renewed as coach, the ideal candidate to replace him is Ponting.
He’s easily the most astute cricketing mind in the country among former players, he’s had some experience coaching in the international arena, and is a relatively recent retiree, having called time on a glittering career less than a decade ago.
As he is coach of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, it will take a hefty financial commitment from CA to get Ponting to take the role, if indeed he wants to commit to such an onerous gig.
It’s a tough issue for Ponting to expand upon too much at the moment given his loyalty to Langer during their many years together as teammates. He’s admitted recently that he was not sure whether he wanted to go back to the hectic travel schedule involved with being the Australian coach.
That should prompt CA to consider changing its coaching structure so Ponting is in charge of all three teams, but appoints someone to run at least one or two of the squads on a full-time basis so he does not have to spend pretty much every month on the calendar in a hands-on role.
Andrew McDonald and Michael Di Venuto have earned rave reviews from players for their work in the current national set-up, while the likes of Jason Gillespie, Trevor Bayliss, David Saker and Adam Voges are more than worthy candidates in and around state cricket who could step up.
Australian cricket is rarely not placed under great scrutiny; but with the stated aim of being No.1 in all three formats and a World T20 title defence on home soil in 2022, they can’t afford to settle for anything less than the best.
They must have Ponting.
Stephen
Guest
Really? Your are talking about a coach that has come in where we were at rock bottom and has turned 2 out of 3 teams he has to coach around
England 2009-2013 were a great team. Australia was in decline. No shame in losing to them.
D34d-F'n-S3t
Guest
Why change the coach?? Why even talk about changing the coach?? What is the motive behind this article even?? I mean Langer just won the T-20 world cup and then has won the ashes aswell, there really is no reason to talk about changing the coach if the measure of a coach is determined by the success of the team, which it should be,there are always going to be players that agree with the coach and those who disagree with the coach and his methods of gaining success.. The fact that Langer was called upon in Australian crickets darkest hour and lead them to the success they have recently found would suggest that Langer should be given a new contract, not all his talk of changing the coach.. And then onto Ponting, why would he want to coach Australia?? He has lucrative contracts with channel 7 to commentate on the Australian summer, he has his lucrative contract with his IPL team to coach them aswell for a few months of the year, so why would he want to give up those lucrative contracts for a contract that would probably pay less than either one of those individually, while also having to give up much more of his time aswell?? It just doesn't make sense for Ponting to take on the scrutiny and responsibility of being the Australian coach while taking a significant pay cut and having major impacts on his time, I just can't see that happening any time soon.. And Gillespie as coach just doesn't make sense, for what team exactly if they split the coaching roles for test and short forms, he isn't exactly the greatest coach as his record shows, wasn't he the coach that lead the SA Redbacks to a winless season in the longer form of the game and 50overs?? While also leading the Adelaide strikers to being 1win from 8games in the current BBL?? So that would suggest he isn't that great a coach, at least not in what should be looked at when considering a coach, their results.. If anything it seems he has taken south Australia backwards and they are getting worse, which comes down to the coach and his ability to get the best out of his players, which he obviously cannot be doing a great job of if the sA Redbacks can go through two competitions without a single win and also only have 1 win from 9 games in the BBL, that's an absolutely shocking record for any coach, in fact the talk should be for him to get the sack from the SA coaching role and not for him to be promoted to the national coach, well unless of course we are aiming for failure, then Gillespie would be the ultimate coach for our national team..
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Deputy Principal Cannington Senior High.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Was he any relation to Darren?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Funny innit how few prominent coaches NSW produces. Why is it so?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
I don't understand how ppl can criticise JL for being too intense and then call for Punter to take over. Have they forgotten how intense and theory-infested Punter was? Batsmen have a very short attention span (unless they're the subject) and would quickly lose interest in whatever Coach Rick was saying.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Been there done that Rowdy. 39 nukes and it's all good now 5 years later. That's if "all good" allows for having to get up for 4.4 wees a night. :unhappy: Good luck.
Jo Liddicoat
Guest
Why change the coach?They won the T20 World Cup The test match,why change a winning form?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Schools wouldn't give me work because of the all-egations even though l was cleared with no guilt recorded. I didn't take this lying down and l told em what l thought of their corruption in no uncertain terms. Apparently that is ill-egal so I was arr-ested.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
No worries
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
Just read your non cricket posts so am sorry to have caused you any grief. So please don't send the boys around to nail my head to a coffee table
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
That is meta-meta
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I got that it was joke suggestion.
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
England should hire Langer
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
Just kidding
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'm in hospital p!ssing claret for urine! And morphined to the eyeballs .... but thanks for asking (and yes, I'm a Monty Python fan)
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
I closed my mind on this for sure with no regrets or consequences so far!
Brett Allen
Guest
What is this obsession with coaches in cricket. The captain is the guy that matters, not the chief orange peeler.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
ABC News breakfast did a great article / interview with him.