Cricket Australia on Tuesday rejected the claim of head coach Justin Langer being asked to apply for the position once again. Justin Langer’s contract is set to expire later this year, and speculations are rife whether he will continue on as the coach even after winning the 2021 T20I World Cup and Ashes 2021/22.
On Monday, Australian media reported that Justin Langer was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia officials where he was asked to re-apply for the head coach position.
Cricket Australia Rejected The Assertion That The Confidential Meeting With Justin Langer Was Fiery Or Heated
Cricket Australia has taken the unusual step of rebutting claims national men’s team coach Justin Langer was involved in a “heated meeting” last week at which his future in the role was reportedly discussed.
CA released a statement pointing out that, while the meeting did take place, it was neither “fiery” nor “heated” and Justin Langer was not told he would be asked to submit to another application process if he was to remain in the role he has held since 2018.
“While we do not comment on confidential conversations, we felt on this occasion it was important to correct the record. Among other false claims, we reject outright the assertion that the meeting was fiery or heated and that Justin was asked to reapply for his job,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.
Australia beat England 4-0 in the Ashes series that ended in January amid speculation over Justin Langer’s future. Media reports last year claimed that his intense approach did not sit well with the entire team.
Justin Langer reportedly had an uneasy relationship with some players in the squad, and things came to a boil following Australia’s away defeat to Bangladesh (4-1) in a 5 match T20I series last year. The Cricket Australia management and the Australian cricket team leadership group had to sit down to resolve the crisis after which Australia won their maiden T20I World Cup and then Ashes.
Reports in Australia said that Justin Langer was asked by CA chief executive Nick Hockley and head of performance Ben Oliver to reapply for the coach’s job along with other candidates despite having guided the team to its maiden ICC T20 World Cup title in the UAE last year and the 4-0 Ashes win recently.
Cricket Australia To Make An Announcement Soon After Discussions With Justin Langer Regarding Job As Coach After His Tenure Ends
Justin Langer met with CA Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley and Executive General Manager of High Performance and National Teams Ben Oliver in Melbourne last Friday at which the prospect of Justin Langer having to re-apply for his job was raised.
“Justin has always been contracted as Head Coach through to the middle of this year and we have consistently maintained that discussions around the future of the role would commence following the conclusion of the men’s Ashes series. Friday’s meeting was the first time that we had the opportunity to meet together in person, reflect on the team’s success and discuss the road ahead. We will continue with this process and make an announcement once it is complete,” it added.
Justin Langer was appointed as the men’s team coach in 2018 after the Sandpaper Gate which saw David Warner, Steve Smith serving out one-year bans. Australia will next lock horns against Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series, and then the side is slated to tour Pakistan for a multi-format series.