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Justin Langer has quit as Australian coach with immediate effect with assistant Andrew McDonald taking over in an interim capacity.
After weeks of scrutiny about whether he would have his four-year contract extended beyond June, the CA board met on Friday to discuss the 51-year-old West Australian’s future.
On Saturday morning Langer’s agency confirmed he was quitting the role.
“DSEG confirms that our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as coach of the Australian men’s cricket team,” the agency said on social media.
“The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.”
DSEG confirms that our
client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as coach of the Australian mens cricket team.
The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.— DSEG (@DSEGWorldwide) February 5, 2022
DSEG principal James Henderson hit out at the ‘faceless few’ who brought down his client.
As a player Justin retired on top after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash. Today, despite the views of a faceless few, he finishes his time as Australian cricket coach winning the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Lest we forget what JL took over in 2018. https://t.co/YWhAWy0awZ
— James Henderson (@jahenderson63) February 5, 2022
REACTION: Ponting, Hayden, Johnson and Martyn reveal anger at Langer’s downfall
Assistant coaches McDonald and Michael Di Venuto, former England mentor Trevor Bayliss and Test great Ricky Ponting have been mentioned as potential replacements for Langer but it is yet to be seen who will put their hand up for the role.
Cricket Australia released a statement confirming the news but has not yet commented on reports that Langer was only offered an extension of 6-12 months.
“Cricket Australia has accepted men’s team head coach Justin Langer’s resignation, which was received today.
“Justin was offered a short-term extension to his current contract, which sadly he has opted not to accept.
“CA would like to thank Justin for his outstanding leadership since he became Australian men’s team coach in 2018 and for guiding the team to the T20 World Cup title last year and the 4-0 Ashes victory.
Justin is not only a legend of the game but an outstanding individual.”
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said: “Justin has been an outstanding coach of the Australian men’s team over the past four years.
“He has restored the trust in the team and his legacy is assured.
“We are extremely proud of his achievements since he took over in 2018, including the recent T20 World Cup victory and Ashes success.
“We are naturally disappointed Justin has decided against continuing as coach but respect his decision and wish him all the best in the future.
“I would like to sincerely thank Justin and also his family for all that they have given to Australian cricket over the past four years, for which we remain eternally grateful.”
Langer adapted his intense coaching style in recent months after complaints from Australia’s senior players to CA executives and the team has enjoyed a golden run with an unexpected victory in the T20 World Cup in the UAE in November followed by a comprehensive Ashes win at home which would have been a series whitewash if they had managed to take on more wicket in the drawn fourth Test at the SCG.
Pat Cummins has consistently said in the lead-up to the board meeting that it was not his call and repeatedly passed up the opportunity to publicly endorse Langer’s reappointment.
In an interview with SEN Radio on Friday morning, he reiterated Cricket Australia was responsible for the review and its outcome: “We’ve certainly at times been asked about everyone, different staff members, different players, it’s part of a high-performance environment. So, they’re running that process at the moment, JL [Langer] has been great, he’s been fantastic. We’ll wait and see what happens, it’s Cricket Australia’s call.
“Especially for Justin, I’m sure he wants an answer quickly and I think that’s what’s probably added to [the delay] over the last couple of weeks … I think the most important thing is due process and that it’s run well.”
England coach Chris Silverwood stepped down from his role earlier on Friday in the wake of their Ashes debacle, following managing director Ashley Giles out the door.
Former captain Andrew Strauss, who headed up the review into the 4-0 defeat, will appoint a caretaker coach to oversee England’s Test series in the West Indies next month.
Strauss and Langer played county cricket together at Middlesex and have maintained a friendship since retiring which has led to suggestions the West Australian may be in line for the vacant full-time England gig.
“I know him well and on the surface he’s done a very good job with that Australian cricket team so I wouldn’t rule him out (for the coaching job),” Strauss, who’s taken over temporarily as managing director of English cricket following the departure of Giles, said at Lord’s.
Former English captain Michael Vaughan wrote in a column for the London Telegraph on Friday that Langer can deliver a “reality check” with some “tough love” if given the nod.
https://t.co/XqyG27cgpx Justin Langer is the person to appoint!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 3, 2022
Langer is in the midst of a break with family in Perth while McDonald oversees the T20 side’s five-match series against Sri Lanka.
He recently told Perth radio station 6PR that he felt he had made a difference as coach during a turbulent period for Australian cricket.
“I can only be judged on where Australian cricket was when I took over, because that’s the obvious time, to where it is today,” he said.
“Whatever happens, I’m really, really proud and so are my family and friends and so many people I know and I think a lot of Australians are to be honest about where the Australian cricket team is now.
Australia are due to leave later this month for the team’s first tour of Pakistan since 1998, which gets underway in Karachi with the first of three Tests and also includes three ODIs and a T20 clash.
CA has received heated criticism surrounding the ongoing saga around Langer’s tenure with former Test captain Kim Hughes telling 10 News earlier this week that “It’s disgraceful that he’s had to put up with this bulls–t”.
Fellow former skippers Michael Clarke, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist have also voiced their support for Langer along with many of his old teammates, including Mark Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn.
The seventh highest run-scorer in Australia’s Test history with 7696 at an average of 45.27, Langer was inducted into the Australian cricket Hall of Fame last Thursday along with former women’s captain Raelee Thompson.
The 58th inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame!
Congratulations, Justin Langer ???? #AusCricketAwards pic.twitter.com/w8BroIBw3M
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) January 27, 2022
Langer has helped rebuild the Australian team since taking over from Darren Lehmann in 2018 in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal during the infamous Cape Town Test.
Coming off the 3-1 series loss in South Africa and with Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft banned for a year, Langer steadied the ship in the Test arena for Australia.
He guided them to a 1-0 series loss to Pakistan in the UAE and a 2-1 defeat at home to India before Australia thrashed Sri Lanka in a two-match series at Canberra and Brisbane.
With the team back to full strength, Australia retained the Ashes with a 2-2 series in England in 2019 before sweeping Pakistan and New Zealand across five Tests at home before the pandemic.
Australia lost at home to India 2-1 last summer in their only other Test series before this season’s Ashes.
In ODIs, Australia have a 25-22 record since Langer was appointed head coach and are third on the ICC rankings but they failed to defend their World Cup crown in 2019, losing in the semi-finals.
The T20 side is still sixth in the ICC rankings despite the World Cup win three months ago with Australia going 26-25 in the Langer era.
Langer has not overseen all white-ball matches during his tenure due to the workload of constant touring and the teams have often been understrength due to established stars resting frequently.