Justin Langer QUITS as coach of Australia men’s team less than a month after resounding 4-0 Ashes win over England… bringing his four-year term as boss to an end
- Justin Langer has quit as the head coach of Australia’s men’s cricket team
- The shock announcement comes weeks after Australia’s Ashes victory
- Langer’s contract at Cricket Australia was coming to an end later this year
- The 51-year-old has been in charge for four years and is linked to an ECB role
Justin Langer has resigned as coach of the Australian men’s cricket team less than a month after leading the side to an Ashes win over England.
The announcement was made via a statement from Langer’s management company, Dynamic Sports and Entertainment Group (DSEG), on Saturday morning while Langer was flying from Melbourne to Perth.
‘DSEG confirms that our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as of the Australian men’s cricket team,’ the statement said. ‘The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.’
Justin Langer has resigned as head coach of the Australian’s men’s cricket team
The 51-year-old’s shock announcement comes less than a month after Australia’s Ashes win
Langer’s manager James Henderson also shared the news on his Twitter.
‘As a player Justin retired on top after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash,’ he wrote. ‘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.’
After weeks of scrutiny about whether he would have his four-year contract extended beyond June, the Cricket Australia board met on Friday to discuss the 51-year-old West Australian’s future.
Langer had taken over the national coaching position from Darren Lehmann in 2018 following the Cape Town ball-tampering controversy in March.
Last week Langer had been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame but formerly reported poor relationships with senior players had led to rumours of the coach’s contract termination.
An external review over training methods last year had put the coach’s contract into question
An external review last year found players thought Langer’s coaching style overly harsh.
However many of the sports ‘bigwigs’ have praised Langer for cleaning up the team following the ball tampering scandal, including Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.
‘Justin (Langer) has done an incredible job in raising the culture, values and behaviours of the Australian men’s team since he took on the role in 2018,’ he said late last year.
Langer was praised cleaning up Australian cricket following the ball tampering scandal
‘His efforts have restored public faith in the national team, which is a side all Australians can be incredibly proud of.’
His 55.5 per cent win record in Test cricket is second only to John Buchanan among all Australian coaches.
He also led Australia’s first retention of the Ashes in England in 18 years in 2019, before winning the series 4-0 this summer, as well as claiming a maiden T20 World Cup title.
Langer’s 55.5 per cent win record in Test cricket is second only to John Buchanan for Australia
But throughout Australia’s successful summer it became clear players were not willing to publicly endorse an extension of his contract.
Now the Aussie team has been left without a coach less than a month out from the tour of Pakistan.
Andrew McDonald is now expected to take over in the interim, having previously coached the side on white-ball tours in the absence of Langer.
McDonald is also the favourite to assume the role on a full-time basis with Trevor Bayliss and Jason Gillespie the other most likely candidates