Justin Langer gets backing from old teammates as contract saga continues
The Justin Langer contract saga continues, with several ex-teammates leaping to the coach's defence.
The stand-off between Langer and Cricket Australia reached a new level earlier this week, when the governing body went as far as to denounce a report made by Fox Sports into the meetings that had been taking place.
Langer is currently contracted to coach the national team until mid-this year, essentially ending after a tour to Pakistan in March and April - but is reportedly refusing to go on that tour unless his contract situation is resolved.
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Justin Langer during an Australia Ashes squad practice session at The Gabba. Getty
Former England coach Trevor Bayliss is one name that has been floated as Langer's successor - but several greats of the game have come to the current boss' defence.
"On performance, there is absolutely no way that Justin Langer cannot continue on as head coach of this Australian cricket team," Ricky Ponting said in January on the day Australia clinched a 4-0 series win in the Ashes.
Langer is yet to be offered an extension or told he is no longer needed. Interestingly, new Australian captain Pat Cummins has failed to endorse a Langer extension when asked about it publicly.
Another of Langer's old teammates, Damien Martyn, went so far as to launch a Twitter poll into the issue - where the overwhelming majority of people said they wanted the coach re-signed.
England legend Michael Vaughan questioned if the goalposts had been moved for Langer, saying that if it was about results, the coach deserved to pass with flying colours.
Darren Lehmann, the man who Langer took over from, said his old teammate should just walk away.
"If I was him I'd walk away actually. Four years, out on a high. Perfect," he said in January.
Former Test captain Mark Taylor speculated that Langer may have been brought in as a 'clean-up' job in the wake of the sandpaper scandal, and that that period had come to an end.
"I suspect with Justin Langer that when he was given the job in 2018 on the back of what happened in Cape Town, it was seen at that time as, 'OK, you're the guy we need for now to bring back discipline into the side'," Taylor said.
"And there's a movement – maybe by the players, maybe by Cricket Australia themselves – that (the) job has been done, and it might be time for more of a man manager and less of an absolute cricket coach and disciplinarian."
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