Justin Langer urges ICC to prioritize international cricket amid the rise of franchise leagues

Former Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to prioritize international cricket amid increasing pressure from franchise leagues. Justin Langer highlighted that international matches have a unique ability to unite or deeply affect a nation, unlike franchise leagues.

Justin Langer is involved with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Langer was appointed head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the IPL 2024 season. The KL Rahul-led team failed to advance to the semi-final stage under Langer's coaching. The LSG team finished in seventh place in the 10-team points table.

The former Australian opening batter recently spoke at World Cricket Connects, a Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) event at Lord's, where cricket leaders gathered to discuss the sport's health and future. A major topic discussed was the role of Test cricket in the evolving landscape of the game.

The event at Lord's gathered influential figures from cricket, including players, coaches, broadcasters, franchise owners, and administrators. Among the attendees were Langer and former Australia women's captain Lisa Sthalekar, who is the current president of the World Cricketers’ Association.

We Have To Keep Protecting International Cricket - Justin Langer

Justin Langer emphasized the importance of preserving international cricket. He stated that international matches, similar to tournaments like the Euros, impact national sentiment by uniting an entire country.

"I love domestic cricket, but I also love international cricket and we have to keep protecting that. International cricket brings the whole country alive or breaks the heart of a whole country. It’s like the football at the moment, with the Euros. If England win, the whole country celebrates. That doesn’t happen in clubs," Langer stated as per Mirror.co.uk.

They Sat And Watched This Extraordinary Game - Justin Langer

Justin Langer highlighted two events from the past year to emphasize the significance of international cricket. He recalled Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins' memorable partnership at Edgbaston during the Ashes. Langer mentioned 50 nine-year-olds in their whites watching the Test match.

“Two things have happened in the last 12 months. This time last year, I was at the Totteridge Cricket Club. I was there with probably 50 kids; I was watching them play cricket. It happened to be when Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins had that amazing partnership at Edgbaston (in the Ashes)," he added.

“I was watching and inside the changing room, there were 50 nine-year-old kids in their whites playing T20 cricket outside, all watching the Test match. When the winning runs were hit, they were shattered, but for 20 minutes they sat and watched this extraordinary game. That is Test cricket," Langer further stated.

Langer recalled his commentary work for Channel 7, highlighting the West Indies' surprising victory over Australia at the Gabba. He stated that the West Indies win made pacer Shamar Joseph a national hero. The 53-year-old also mentioned the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team's T20 World Cup 2024 victory last month.

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