Justin Langer quits as Australian men's cricket coach

AP

Melbourne, February 5

Faced with months of reported complaints by senior players over his rigid coaching style and an apparently uncompromising Cricket Australia board of directors, Justin Langer resigned as coach of the Australian men's cricket team on Saturday.

The announcement was made in a statement from Langer's management company DSEG while Langer was flying from Melbourne to his hometown of Perth.

"DSEG confirms that our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as coach of the Australian men's cricket team,” the statement said.

"The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately."

After weeks of scrutiny about whether he would have his four-year contract extended beyond June, the Cricket Australia board met on Friday to discuss the 51-year-old West Australian's future.

Cricket Australia said in a statement that Langer was “offered a short-term extension to his current contract, which sadly he has opted not to accept”.

It also said assistant coach Andrew McDonald had been appointed interim head coach.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is close friends with Langer—they share the same agent—told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio that he believes Langer was pushed out of the job and it's a “really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned”, adding that the situation was “embarrassing".

Reports in Australian media over the past several months said Langer's intense coaching style had led to complaints from Australia's senior players to CA executives. Captain Pat Cummins had failed to endorse Langer during a radio interview on Friday, saying it was important to evaluate Langer's position.

The team had enjoyed a strong run of play with an unexpected victory in the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in November followed by a comprehensive 4-0 Ashes win at home. Cricket Australia said Langer's contract extension offer, if accepted, would have seen him remain in charge to help Australia defend its T20 title in Australia at the end of the year.

Ponting said he was disappointed Cummins had not publicly backed Langer, but said he understood the captain was caught in the middle.

Ponting also said it was a “a very small group” of players and other support staff that had become upset with Langer's tough coaching style.

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