Reports Claim Unequal Pay For 'The Test' Documentary Reason For Rifts Between Coach Justin Langer And Australian Players

Some reports by Australian media have revealed the reason for rifts between Australian head coach Justin Langer and Aussie players. According to reports, the less payment received by Australia head coach in comparison to players for the documentary ‘The Test’ is the reason behind the alleged rifts between the coach and players.

‘The Test’ is a cricket documentary based on Australian cricket. It traces the developments in the Australian cricket camp from the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal of March 2018 to Ashes 2019. It consists of 8 episodes. The series was produced and broadcasted by Amazon Prime.

Justin Langer Upset With Less Pay For Coaches Than Players

For the documentary, coach Justin Langer was paid almost half the amount than the Australian cricketers. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, Langer signed a deal of AU $ 40,000 with the online platform Amazon Prime for the series.

However, the Australian cricketers received a payment of AU $ 81,000. While Langer cracked his deal himself, the deal for cricketers was made by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA). The ACA managed to get a payment of AU $ 81,000 for each player, which was more than double of what Langer received. Langer got an immense appreciation for his role in the documentary and also shared the most screen time. However, he was not happy with the less amount which he got.

“You are absolutely correct in what you heard, and if I look back at that moment in time and with hindsight I should have reacted differently,” the Australian coach recently said in a conversation to The Sydney Morning Herald.

After Australia’s 2-1 loss against India in the 4-match Test series in January this year, reports of rifts between coach Justin Langer and Australian players started doing the rounds in media. Reports cited that players were unhappy with Langer’s micro-management and mood swings.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia recently extended Langer’s contract as head coach of the national side. The Australian cricket board voted in the favour of former Australian cricketer to lead the team till the middle of next year. As a result, Langer will be the coach of the Australian team for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and The Ashes 2021-22.

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