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Andrew Strauss, English cricket’s new kingmaker, has offered more credence to rumours linking Justin Langer with their head coach’s job, saying he “wouldn’t rule him out”.
And as the saga surrounding Langer’s ended with his resignation on Saturday, John Buchanan, one of his distinguished predecessors as national team coach, has slammed Cricket Australia’s treatment of the Ashes-winning orchestrator.
LANGER QUITS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
Following a marathon board meeting on Friday, CA simply vowed to “enter into confidential discussions” with Langer about his future as coach.
Langer’s position was a priority of the discussions in Melbourne after months of speculation, even after Australia’s recent 4-0 Ashes demolition of England and the breakthrough Twenty20 World Cup title in November.
The former Test great – and the cricketing public – was left no clearer about who would take Australian cricket forward.
But England are watching developments with interest as Strauss admitted on Friday that his old Ashes foe could be in the running to take over from Chris Silverwood, who left the post earlier in the week.
“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 Ashley Giles, said at Lord’s.
He did add, though, that “I’m sure there are plenty of others as well.”
On a day when Graham Thorpe also stepped down as England batting coach, Strauss added: “I personally feel someone with an outside view who can check and challenge the thoughts within the dressing room is a healthy thing.”
Buchanan, who coached Langer and oversaw Australia’s greatest era between 1999 and 2007, was disappointed in how it had been handled.
(Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/Getty Images for the Australian Cricketers’ Association
“I just think Cricket Australia have really hung Justin out to dry, and whether they are going to reappoint him or not going to reappoint him, it’s just become a real saga and I really don’t understand why it has to be,” Buchanan told 4BC radio.
“When he came in, he was asked to do two things, and that was to fix the culture of the team, make the Australian cricket team a likeable team again.
“Play hard, play fair and win some games.
“It just seems to be a drama that didn’t need to occur.
“It’s a very difficult job but one that he has demonstrated over four years or so that he has coped with very well.”
Senior players have largely opted not to comment publicly on the issue, with Test captain Pat Cummins stating on Thursday that he didn’t want to add to the speculation.
But the skipper did admit on Friday that Langer would understandably want an answer as soon as possible.
Cummins also admitted he could understand why people would feel Langer’s extension should be a formality after Australia’s success, but said it was important to evaluate his position.
The key sticking point with Langer has long been more about his intensity off the field than Australia’s results on it, with reports that it has negatively affected players.
Tensions bubbled privately after last summer’s second home defeat to India in three years, creating pressure on Langer for the first time since he took over as coach in 2018 following the ball-tampering scandal.
© AAP
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