It Is A Wake-Up Call: Justin Langer On Reports Claiming Australian Player's Dissent Against Him

Australian head coach Justin Langer has said that the recent rumblings within the dressing room about its uncompromised team environment are a timely ”wake up call’, something he cannot ignore, adding that he sees the criticism by several cricketers on his style of coaching as a great gift.

Following Australia’s defeat to India in the recently concluded Test series on home soil, leading Australian daily ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ has carried out a report where it has cited sources claiming that multiple Aussie cricketers are unhappy with Justin Langer’s style of coaching and that they find assistant coach Andrew McDonald more accessible than the former Test opener.

The Australian administrators are set to meet for the first time following the Test series defeat against India later this month, which could well decide how long Justin Langer continues in his position as the head coach.

“I’m not going to ignore this, of course, and absolutely it is a wake-up call. Whenever I finish this coaching career I hope I’m still calling myself a novice coach…I’ll see this criticism as a great gift in a few weeks or months,” Justin Langer was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s report had further claimed that some senior cricketers are annoyed with his micro-management, including the bowlers who, according to the same, have claimed that they are being constantly bombarded by statistics. Langer, however, denied the same but asserted that ‘leadership isn’t a popularity contest’

“My greatest mentors in life are the people who told me the truth and were toughest on me, and I’ve always needed that honest feedback. I might not enjoy it at the time, but it is so, so valuable,” he added. Leadership isn’t a popularity contest. If players just want someone to tickle their stomachs all the time then I’m not doing my job,” Justin Langer was quoted as saying by ‘The Syndey Morning Herald’

“It’s actually the opposite of what happens. I never talk about statistics to the bowlers, ever. I don’t go to any of the bowlers’ meetings. That’s what the bowlers” coach is meant to be doing,” he added.

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