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The curious case of Justin Langer will be outright bizarre if he ends up sitting watching the 2023 Ashes from England’s dressingroom instead of Australia’s.
Despite a T20 World Cup win and 12-day Ashes victory romp, it’s almost unfathomable that Langer’s hopes of a contract renewal after the tour of Pakistan in March will be denied. If they are, the old enemy could be set to pounce.
By all reports, Langer has shifted course from his intense peak early last year but the failure of senior players Pat Cummins and Steve Smith to fully endorse him for an extension is being seen as a sign he might be heading out the door.
Langer is heading into a fifth year in charge, and Former Test player Kerry O’Keeffe says there is a thought that that is the right time to make a change.
>> READ: If Langer is a goner, Ponting must be next in line
“You can not argue with the results he’s had,” said O’Keeffe on Fox Cricket.
Australia head coach Justin Langer (David Davies/PA via AP)
“I can not believe that’s he’s not getting a lot more accolades for what Australia has achieved.
“But is 4-5 years about the right time span for a Test cricket coach? Many have said that’s just about right and that means Langer is entering his fifth year in the next few months. Is it time that his legacy should be a big Ashes victory and the T20- world cup and they don’t re-sign him.
“I don’t know but it would be a brave move not to re-sign someone after winning the Ashes at home and winning a T20 World Cup.”
O’Keeffe said Langer had restored “passion, intensity and pride in the cap after Cape Town” but questioned if he was still evolving as a coach.
“He may be well be,” said O’Keeffe. “There is a problem solving aspect that McDonald and co bring but Langer’s obviously embracing that as well.
“There were problems in the T20 World Cup but they were solved. There were problems going into this summer. Solved. Is Langer partly responsible for all of that? We don’t know. There has to be a presumption he was.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he would jump at the chance to have Langer helm England, should Chris Silverwood lose his job after this tour.
“I just don’t get it,” Vaughan said of the speculation that Langer had lost the dressingroom.
“Do the players just want to be loved by everyone?
“Surely it’s about respect. If they don’t respect him they’re not normal.”
Vaughan said the players’ on field errors had cost Langer a 2019 Ashes series win and he would take them back in 2023 and lead them to a convincing win.
“Because they’ve got the squad and got the mentality around the group with Justin’s leadership,” said Vaughan. “But if you don’t want him we’ll have him.
“If vacancies became available I would jump at the chance to have Justin Langer in English cricket. Be careful what you wish for. The grass is not always greener and Justin Langer from what I see is doing a fantastic job and If I was Cricket Australia I’d be signing him up for at least a couple more years.”
And Vaughan says there is a trait Langer possesses that England need.
“Teams need good cops and bad cops. Maybe Justin’s that bad cop. England, I think, have got too many good cops and need a bad cop or two. Just give us his number will you!”