Australia’s cricketers have lifted the lid on Justin Langer’s temper issues in their latest behind-the-scenes documentary, with Usman Khawaja claiming players were afraid of him and Test captain Pat Cummins saying they were walking on eggshells around their combustible coach.
Cummins hopes the second series of The Test will soothe any lingering public fury over Langer’s exit as coach last February.
The second season of The Test will be released on Friday, with Tim Paine’s downfall, last summer’s Ashes series and Langer’s departure emerging as the major plotlines.
Players were shown the first two episodes at a launch in Sydney on Monday night, with the series to also feature Australia’s tours of Pakistan and crisis-gripped Sri Lanka.
It was in the initial season of Amazon Prime Video series concerns over Langer’s intensity first came to light.
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Several heated discussions between players and the coach were captured. Those concerns ultimately led to Langer’s departure last February.
In a montage in the first episode of the new season, Cummins tells viewers players were on tenterhooks around the coach.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Khawaja also pointed out his view that players were afraid of Langer and did not speak up to him, while Nathan Lyon admitted he struggled with the coach’s up-and-down nature.
“There were plenty of guys who don’t speak up, don’t talk,” Khawaja said in the documentary. “And they were afraid of JL. That’s the truth.”
Lyon added: “I’ve always said you can never criticise someone who is extremely passionate in what they do, and that’s exactly what JL is. Did I struggle with some of the ups and downs? Yeah. Probably the biggest feedback from myself was just emotional levels (from) JL.”
Langer’s exit remains one of the most contentious points in Australian cricket, with some public sentiment still behind the former opener.
“Players and staff really crave consistency,” Cummins said in the doco. “Over the last couple of years, there were times when the environment just wasn’t that.
“Some people felt like they were walking on eggshells. The players wanted to create their own environment and it’s us taking responsibility for the team.”
Justin Langer and Steve Smith chat during the 2019 Ashes. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
But Cummins was not concerned how the documentary and fallout from the Langer situation would appear to the public.
“We’re all at peace with it. The way it’s told is pretty accurate to how it all played out,” Cummins told AAP. “A lot of these things publicly and outside the group get really heated and can be really divisive.
“Hopefully with the cameras inside the group you get a bit more context and it’s not divisive.
“Seeing it objectively there is a little less heat and emotion involved in the situation as opposed to what might get played out in the papers and conversations.”
The documentary airs after Langer expressed his frustrations over his exit in several interviews before the start of the Test summer over what he claimed was a lack of feedback.
“What will come across hopefully is that we are a team that is really motivated,” Cummins said. “We finished the Ashes series and the next big thing that came across was Pakistan.
“And rightly or wrongly, the nature of sport is we all move on pretty quickly.”
The documentary comes after the summer began with questions asked over the popularity of Australia’s players.
This second season is far more centred around players’ stories than the first, with at-home insights on Cummins, Khawaja and Scott Boland while maintaining dressing-room footage.
“Cricket is a small part of all our lives,” Cummins said. “Seeing people in their natural environment, it gives a bit more context to who we are as people and what makes us tick.”
Warner says contract offer ‘kick in the face’
David Warner described Cricket Australia’s decision to only offer Langer a six-month contract as a “kick in the face”, while also admitting the coach lost several key players in the team.
Langer’s departure at the end of last summer came after CA took on board concerns over the coach’s intensity at the end of his initial four-year deal.
He was offered a new six-month contract with no chance of an extension, which he promptly rejected and resigned.
David Warner. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Langer has since made clear his frustration over the situation, speaking out in several interviews and columns before the start of the Test summer.
Warner’s comments come after after Paine also labelled the short contract “embarrassing”, “unprofessional” and “a disgrace” in his autobiography, claiming CA took the easy way out knowing Langer would not accept it.
“He wanted to keep coaching. It was a bit of a kick in the face to offer him a six-month contract,” Warner said in the documentary.
Regardless, Warner also laid bare the situation within the squad.
“He lost a fair few players, and probably the wrong players,” Warner said.
Noel
Roar Rookie
I'm only watching today because Randi is coming out of a coma, and she knows the phony prince's body is hidden in the boathouse.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Long? What my answer? Of course, this is a discussion site, not a place 250 obtuse characters are slyly punched out to give others the opinion they're supposed to have, while the boss isn't looking! You don't know it is a usual piece, why? Haven't watched it, can't, don't intend to? The soccer series are just a few of many sports worldwide followed in the production. The overall take from this is there are always 2 or more personalities involved, but hierarchy is important in sport as is buyin to a plan. A ship has an experienced Captain with the chart reading ability at their disposal and sets a course that the whole crew buys into to ensure they navigate rough weather, sometimes sharp instructions and rebukes are necessary to achieve a safe and successful voyage. If the crew decides otherwise, it's a mutiny. Sure sport isn't life and death, but buyin is still important.
Full Credit to the Boys
Roar Rookie
Hardly 'new age' to want someone not ranting and raving, remaining calm and logical. Clearly we, and the Australian cricket team, think differently to you.
Clear as mud
Guest
long. pointed. but overly invested in the learnings of a true team game (association football) . i don't know if this is an "as usual" piece.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
So a coaching appointment is based on prior experience including his approach which brings a winning mentality, but is out of date the minute he finishes with his current appointment, so because 'times have changed' 2 years after that period, he should be discounted because the ruling cliche of the team wants their way? Wow! What a minefield for potential coaches! Why would you bother attempting to find out if your winning formula translates, it's just a personality pick by entitled players?
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
'Culturally the players wanted something else' Well there you go, now I know where you're coming from! New age coaching appointment from redundant administration; get the players to appoint the type of coach they want, instant success!
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Clear as mud as usual. Sport has always been diverse, regardless of what recent activists want. Coaches are employed to devise a common gameplan, interviewed on that basis, with their record and prior player management skills assessed and appointed accordingly, with an ever increasing backroom of 'professionals' to deal with diverse personalities and a roster for access to them for players. There are cuddle squads for those who need it. Their job is to reiterate that the coach is focused on their playing credentials and the frustration and sometimes anger demonstrated is aimed at a group not producing the outcomes with the processes they agreed they bought into! I mentioned elsewhere, watch All or Nothing the sporting series and in particular the Arsenal series. Coach Arteta was appointed for his game plan and constantly drums the message. Praise is always included until the obvious debacle games, when he is angry and tells the squad home truths. This is a redeveloping squad with many younger players who have time with psychology backroomers, but the message is to the group and the cutthroat nature of a sporting organization with winning as the objective is if you don't buyin, then you're told and gone, just like Arsenal did with their captain during this period. Diversity? Find a team sport with more diversity of cultures in a single team than a big league soccer club, whose coaches are employed as known quantities personality wise and I'll happily discuss why it makes no difference when the team takes the field.
Kalva
Roar Rookie
Barely anyone gave us a chance in England? Really? Most pundits slightly favored Australia before the series started and then heavily so once Anderson got injured in the first Test for the simple reason that England were a poor Test team under Root and the coach Baylis was far more interested in the ODIs…he was there to win the 2019 WC which they did. Re:India; losing a home series against a depleted team should cause some changes in leadership…Paine was a poor captain who panicked when things got a bit too hot. Cummins is a far more mature captain… Aus might not win in India although it will be close but I fully expect them to win in England inspite of England’s recent upturn. If Paine was still captain, I would expect losses in both.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
No. He took over with the State side in a cultural and performance crisis. Players being suspended for off-field incidents and poor attitudes to training. Had not made the Shield final for 15 years. His first season in charge WA finished equal 1st on wins and 2 points off 1st place. Following two seasons he took WA to consecutive Shield finals. Very successful transition of the side and the State has continued on with that success. He also sought to align the use most of those Shield squads with the Perth Scorchers squads, who also became consistently successful.
Jb
Guest
Okay hero back in your box
Jb
Guest
Your bias knows no bounds. Have you watched it? And from what I've heard this is just one of many many parts to this series, because ya know ... it's kind of relevant. It's not a smear campaign, it's a documentary
Jb
Guest
You're expectations are completely unrealistic. We did well I'm England when barely anyone gave us a chance and if you think paine and Langer should of been sacked after losing to India shows how delusional you are. Very poor result but not everyone needs to be sacked ffs. Langer did a good job but it was time for him to go when he did, shame your 'must be perfect' attitude can't see that
matth
Roar Guru
Did WA win a Shield under Langer? I know the Scorchers won the T20
matth
Roar Guru
Have you watched it? I didn’t think it was released yet.
matth
Roar Guru
Did WA win a Shield during his tenure?
matth
Roar Guru
Langer’s results were certainly not terrible, although not great. You fail to mention zero away series wins. You also exclude lost series without Warner and Smith, which is fair enough, but does smack of “if I take away all his losses then he won everything “
matth
Roar Guru
It’s cricket not football. The captain has always been king from Chappell to Taylor to Waugh to Ponting. The Simpson and Langer eras are anomalies, in each case because we had a leadership hole in the team.
Clear as mud
Guest
I respect that opinion. Certainly I think if the appointment was happening now rather than rushed through in a crisis a decade ago there would be a lot more discussion, a higher bar for “contrition” etc. thankfully our intolerance for racism is way higher than 20 years ago, and 10. But still not high enough.
Clear as mud
Guest
He was a player and it was almost a decade before he became National coach. He did a terrible thing. Hopefully he - and everyone - learned the lessons from that.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
My point is he didn't deny he said it. Gist of, he didn't dither and he made no excuses. ------ The other issue is why bring it up. He apologized, he did his time.