Justin Langer stepped down as Australia’s head coach in February: “Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period of 12 years as coach”; despite links to England managerial jobs, Langer said: “I have never spoken to English cricket”
Former Australia head coach Justin Langer says he never spoke to England about his vacant coaching jobs at the time.
Justin Langer has claimed that “bull politics” within Cricket Australia is the reason for his departure as head coach of the men’s team earlier this year.
After leading Australia to T20 World Cup glory and a 4-0 thrashing of the Ashes of England, Langer resigned in February, despite being offered a six-month contract extension.
Rumors persisted for months before his departure that some veteran players were unhappy with his coaching style, but a number of Langer’s former teammates, including Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and the late Shane Warne, felt that 51 – Cricket Australia abused a one-year-old boy.
Speaking about his departure for the first time, at a chamber of commerce event in Perth, Langer criticized Cricket Australia’s then interim chairman, Richard Freudenstein.
“The first thing he [Freudenstein] told me was, ‘It must make you feel so good that all your teammates are rooting for you in the media,'” Langer said.
“I said, ‘Yes it is, Acting President, but with all due respect, those fellows are also the greatest of all time in Australian cricket. They are the fabric of Australian cricket. They are Australian cricket. They also work across the world”. world in cricket. So yeah, I’m glad my teammates are taking care of me. Imagine if you had.'”
Langer added: “Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period in 12 years as a coach.
“Not only did we win everything, but he had energy, he was focused and he was happy, plus the bullfighting politics.”
Cricket Australia admitted at the time of Langer’s departure that there had been some “challenging, strong and forthright” talks surrounding the “evolving” head coach role.
Andrew McDonald has since been appointed as his replacement, with New Zealand great Daniel Vettori among his assistant coaches.
Langer, meanwhile, was linked to vacant England manager jobs before Brendon McCullum (Test cricket) and Matthew Mott (white ball) took them, but said he was never in the cards to coach their great rivals.
“I have never talked to English cricket,” he said. “The idea of coaching England… my friend!”
