The Australian coach Justin Langer is feeling the heat. Yes, he is under tremendous pressure at the moment to change himself. He will have to change the way he is coaching the team. Langer had been with the all-conquering Australian team of the late 1990s and early 2000s. They were rude and abrasive. That sort of attitude would have certainly filtered onto Langer too. It remains to be seen whether it is even possible for Langer to adjust himself and be a little bit more polite towards the players.
Langer’s early days
Langer replaced Darren Lehmann as the coach of the Australian cricket team after the infamous Newlands ball tampering scandal. At that point, the Australian selectors wanted a clean break from the past. They wanted to rebuild the image of the Australian team. They must have thought of Langer to be the ideal coach to lead the team into the unforeseen future. A couple of years down the line, things does not seem to be much rosy for Langer and for the Australian team.
The senior players are not happy with the way Langer approaches every game. He is seen as a headmaster of a school directing his pupil to do what he says. He is accused of creating a stifling environment. Usman Khawaja once told Langer that the players are intimidated by his style and they feel like walking on egg shells around Langer. No wonder Khawaja is not seen in Australian colours any longer.
The Test
Langer’s mood swings, which was famously captured in the Amazon series The Test, clearly shows that he is a coach who will not be averse to reprimand the players in front of everyone. The series seems to convey the impression that Langer is always a temperamental character. The way he abused everyone on camera, it will really come as a shock to everyone who watched it.
Langer quite determined
However, Langer does seem to be too perturbed. He certainly feels that he has the support of the players but it is the constant media attention that is wearing him down.
Langer disputed any suggestion his relationship with players had deteriorated, saying it “couldn’t be further from the truth”. But he added that “leadership isn’t a popularity contest”.
“If players just want someone to tickle their stomachs all the time then I’m not doing my job,” he said.
“I might sound like a sook here, but the biggest thing that will wear me down isn’t the travel, isn’t the game, isn’t the three formats, it is just the incredible spotlight you are always under,” Langer said.
The recent series defeat against India, the second successive series loss to India has aggravated the precarious position Langer finds himself in. More than the loss, it was the manner of the loss that must have hurt Langer. India played with their D team against Australia’s best and yet they came out winners in the end. This is a hard pill to swallow for any coach.
Langer’s days are numbered
If reports are to be believed, Langer is under close scrutiny. The next series for Australia after the defeat against India will be the limited overs series against West Indies. It will be followed by a series against Bangladesh. The way Langer conducts himself during the next few months will determine whether Langer’s contract will be extended.
Langer must change himself at the earliest or he must prepare himself to be replaced.
Something unrelated to Langer
With the IPL set to resume in September, it remains to be seen whether the Australian board will release its players to participate in the tournament. The Australian players, officials and the rest had a tough time to get back to Australia at the end of the IPL. All of them were shifted to Maldives and had to be there for 15 days. It was a nightmare for all of them to travel back to Australia. Hussey wasn’t even allowed to travel out of India because he was tested positive.
It is highly unlikely that the players will want to travel to UAE. Cummins has already declared that he will not rejoin his team in UAE. Ashley Giles has announced that England players will not be part of the IPL.
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