"He’s A Very Good Coach, But I Think The Platform He’s Been Put In On Is A Really, Really Dangerous One" - Simon O’Donnell On Australia Coach Andrew McDonald

Justin Langer’s tenure as Australian coach ended in controversy; players were allegedly dissatisfied with Langer’s micromanagement of the squad, and emotions boiled on a couple of occasions during his four-year tenure, which began in 2018.

Former Australian Coach led Australia to their first T20 World Cup in 2021 and then helped them retain the Ashes earlier this year before leaving the post.

Justin Langer thing is big in this – Simon O’Donnell

Former Australian all-rounder Simon O’Donnell believes things will get “murky” if players make more difficult team decisions than head coaches. He attributed head coach Andrew MacDonald’s capitulation to the players’ opinions for early elimination of the Australian team from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at home.

“The Langer thing is big in this,” O’Donnell said on SEN radio. “People didn’t like how that happened, and Justin Langer was much loved as a player and went about his business, he was hard nosed, and that unceremonious dumping of the coach and the players’ activity behind the scenes in that, that has left a sour taste in a lot of peoples’ mouths. When the player opinion started coming in is when this got murky,” O’Donnell said.

You Can’t Lead By Negotiation – Simon O’Donnell

The 59-year-old veteran has expressed serious doubts over McDonald’s abilities to coach the national team. Cricket Australia (CA) appointed McDonald as interim head coach and then permanent head coach after Justin Langer stepped down.

“I’m a great believer that you can’t lead by negotiation. You cannot lead by saying I’ll do it this way as long as you guys are happy. Andrew McDonald must put his stamp on this and say, ‘this is me as a coach’,” O’Donnell added.

“He’s part player appointed, so how does he do it? How is he their mate and their boss as well? When you muddy that line, I only see trouble. I hope there’s not, because Andrew McDonald is a ripping bloke, he’s a very good coach, but I think the platform he’s been put in on is a really, really dangerous one.”

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