Justin Langer’s reign as Australia men’s cricket coach is over after he resigned on Saturday ending a messy protracted saga lasting six months.
But the bloodletting, which has engulfed Australian cricket and seemingly paralzyed its governing body, is set to continue for some time after the bitter fall of Langer, who rejected a token short-term six-month extension to stay on as coach after a marathon Cricket Australia (CA) board meeting on Friday.
Langer, who helped rebuild Australia after taking the reins post the humiliating sandpaper scandal, wanted a longer-term deal on all three formats having just completed a fruitful period yielding a surprise T20 World Cup triumph and an Ashes trashing.
He didn’t get that as CA attempted a strange compromise but the messy divorce was further underlined when Langer publicly revealed his resignation on social media via his management before the news officially broke.
He had previously helped turnaround WA cricket, a former powerhouse in Australian domestic cricket before an eroding of culture saw it spiral leading to powerbrokers pleading for Langer to shake things up. The Western Australian icon did exactly that through strictness and preaching an uncompromising level of professionalism to his players.
Famed for his work ethic and mental resolve, which fueled his legendary career spanning 105 Tests during Australia’s glory days, Langer brought unwavering intensity, discipline and a bucket load of passion to the role.
