The cricket world has reacted after coach Justin Langer and Cricket Australia confirmed their messy divorce on Saturday morning.
Langer is out less than three weeks after winning the Ashes 4-0 and inside three months of clinching a maiden T20 World Cup crown.
His departure is a result of player power – who were disgruntled with his tough coaching style – but the decision to let him resign has divided opinion.
In this 48 hours before Langer resigned, his captain Pat Cummins shied away from endorsing the coach’s future, instead stating it was not his call but CA’s.
“It’s all out of my hands,” Cummins told Ben Fordham on 2GB on Thursday – 24 hours before the CA board met to discuss his future.
“Cricket Australia are running that process at the moment.
“I think it’s a good thing, it’s healthy, that we’re able to get evaluated even when we’re going well, so they’re doing that thorough process at the moment.
“I’m kind of at arm’s-reach from it all, so we’ll see what comes of it.”
The former Australian opener took over following the ball-tampering scandal in 2018, and was last month inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Langer’s cries of “elite honesty” and “respect” became catchphrases during his first year in charge.
But his intensity ultimately wore down the players and came to a head following their 2-1 home series loss to India last summer.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting blasted Cricket Australia for the decision and how the ugly split unfolded.
“It is a really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned and if you look back it has been a really poor six months on the whole in the way that Cricket Australia has handled some of the better people in the Australian cricket – Justin Langer and Tim Paine,” Ponting said.
“I think it’s been almost embarrassing the way they have handled those two cases.
“Me knowing Justin the way that I do, he was very keen to continue in the role, as he should have been after what’s been the best coaching period of his international career having just won the T20 World Cup and then the 4-0 result in the Ashes.
“It seems like a very strange time for a coach to be departing.
“Reading the tea leaves it sounds like a few — and as he says to me a small group in the playing group and a couple of other staff around the team — haven’t entirely loved the way he has gone about it.
“That’s been enough to force a man who has put his life and heart and soul into Australian cricket and done a sensational job at turning around the culture and the way the Australian team has been looked at in the last few years to push him out of the job.”
Langer’s manager, James Henderson, was scathing of the decision which he believes was made by “a faceless few”.
Head coach Justin Langer of Australia celebrates after winning the Fifth Test in the Ashes series between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena on January 16. Getty.
Head coach Justin Langer of Australia celebrates after winning the Fifth Test in the Ashes series between Australia and England at Blundstone Arena on January 16.
“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.”
Langer’s former opening partner Matthew Hayden slammed the decision and hit out at Cummins’ comments.
“It was absolutely clear that no one backed him,” Hayden told ABC Radio on Saturday.
“If you listen to the Australian captain speak the other day, there was not one mention of any sort of commendation or support.
“That would have been extremely hurtful.
“How do you reckon he’d be going? To hear the Australian captain on Sunrise offer no support and commendation. How would you feel?
“And now we hear Pat Cummins saying, ‘This is a high performance environment, we all go through a high performance review’. I’m sorry Pat but that’s garbage … this just reeks of being orchestrated.”
Former fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was another left perplexed by the players’ decision to force CA’s hand.
“I’m pretty angry,” Johnson told the ABC.
“There’s been a lot of disrespect. Not every player is going to like the same coach … so what does that mean for the future? Each time a player doesn’t like a coach we will be back at square one again?”
Former teammate Brad Hogg agreed.
The decision comes just days after England sacked their coach Chris Silverwood.
Some on social media noted Langer is out because he was “too hard” at the same time Silverwood was axed for being “too soft”.
There are even calls for Langer to now take the England job, with the ECB’s Director of Cricket Andrew Strauss telling reporters he would attempt to speak out to the Australian.
Former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan wrote on Thursday in the UK Telegraph that he would sign Langer up.
“My personal wish is for England to keep a close eye on events in Australia on Friday and act quickly if Justin Langer leaves his role,” Vaughan wrote. (Fox Sports)