SYDNEY (National Times) – Australian men\u2019s cricket coach Justin Langer announced his surprise resignation Saturday, just weeks after trouncing archrivals England in a lopsided Ashes series and months after winning the T20 World Cup.<\/p>\n
The 51-year-old walked away from the top management job in Australian sports after failing to secure the public support of key players and acrimonious contract talks with governing body Cricket Australia.<\/p>\n
Board members held lengthy discussions about Langer\u2019s future into Friday night, but failed to reach an agreement on a new deal with the former Test batsman.<\/p>\n
The coach is said to have bristled at being asked to effectively reapply for his job and being offered a “short-term extension” to his contract, despite a stellar record that culminated in a 4-0 Ashes victory and Australia being ranked the world\u2019s number one Test team.<\/p>\n
Sports management company DSEG announced Langer\u2019s departure in a terse statement saying “our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as coach of the Australian mens cricket team”.<\/p>\n
“The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.”<\/p>\n
Cricket Australia said it had accepted Langer\u2019s resignation, while praising his “outstanding leadership”.<\/p>\n
“Justin is not only a legend of the game but an outstanding individual,” it said, adding Andrew McDonald has been appointed as interim head coach.<\/p>\n
\u2018Grumpy\u2019 <\/p>\n
As a player, Langer\u2019s searing intensity drove him to greatness with the bat.<\/p>\n
But it also appeared to play a role in his downfall, despite his success reviving the scandal-tainted side\u2019s fortunes.<\/p>\n
Langer took the job in 2018, with Australian cricket at its lowest ebb for decades in the wake of a cheating affair.<\/p>\n
Langer\u2019s long-time partner at the crease Matthew Hayden said he had restored pride in their beloved baggy green cap.<\/p>\n
“He came into one of the most toxic environments in Australian sport” Hayden told ABC. “It had been disgraced and dishonoured.”<\/p>\n
Langer not only ended the rot but oversaw a string of wins that took Australia back to the top of the Test rankings and culminated in recent victories in the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.<\/p>\n
But somewhere along the way, Langer lost support in the dressing room, with disgruntled players complaining anonymously to local media about his “headmaster-like” leadership style.<\/p>\n
“I am intense, yeah, I am serious, I am — do I get grumpy sometimes? Yeah, I get grumpy sometimes,” Langer acknowledged early last year.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m not perfect that\u2019s for sure.”<\/p>\n
\u2018Man manager\u2019 needed <\/p>\n
Former captain Tim Paine — another post-scandal appointment who was a key ally in rebuilding the team\u2019s tattered reputation — instigated talks between the coach and players last August that helped paper over the cracks.<\/p>\n
Langer reportedly pledged to stop micromanaging the team\u2019s affairs and relax his confrontational personal manner.<\/p>\n
Grumblings about his behaviour re-emerged shortly after a sexting scandal forced Paine\u2019s departure on the eve of the Ashes and intensified as contract negotiations opened with Cricket Australia.<\/p>\n
Public support from Paine\u2019s replacement Pat Cummins was lukewarm at best.<\/p>\n
“It lies in Cricket Australia\u2019s hands,” he said. “They\u2019re just going through an evaluation process at the moment which I think is fair and the right thing to do.”<\/p>\n
Former captain Mark Taylor said he suspected Langer had completed the job he was brought in to do and Cricket Australia now wanted “more of a man manager and less of an absolute cricket coach and disciplinarian”.<\/p>\n
Regardless of how his tenure as coach ended, Langer\u2019s feats with the bat have already sealed a spot in Australian cricket\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
He played 105 Tests from 1993 to 2007, averaging 45.27 and amassing 7,696 runs, including 23 centuries.<\/p>\n
Langer was part of a golden era for Australian cricket, with greats such as Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Ponting in the all-conquering team.<\/p>\n
He attributed his success to dogged determination rather than dazzling natural ability and expected those around him to display the same unwavering application.<\/p>\n
Langer and Hayden became one of the most prolific opening combinations in history, seeing off the new ball in 113 Tests for a combined 5,655 runs at an average of 51.58. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY (National Times) – Australian men\u2019s cricket coach Justin Langer announced his surprise resignation Saturday, just weeks after trouncing archrivals England in a lopsided Ashes series and months after winning the T20 World Cup. The 51-year-old walked away from the top management job in Australian sports after failing to secure the public support of key […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n