T20 World Cup 2024: Justin Langer reveals why Team India hasn't been able to win an ICC Trophy lately

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer recently shared his insights on the different experiences of leading a national team versus a franchise, as the BCCI invited applications for the new head coach for the Indian cricket team.

However, Langer made it clear that a national-team job isn’t on his radar, at least for now, but the former Australian head coach offered his views on what India needs to do to win the ICC tournaments, as they have not won the World Cup since 2011.

The LSG head coach highlighted the immense pressure and expectations that come with coaching a national team like India or Australia, compared to leading a state side or a Big Bash League (BBL) club. He noted that the entire country supports the national team, which leads to intense scrutiny from both fans and the media whenever the team loses a game.

The next coach of India will need his batteries fully recharged: Justin Langer

Justin Langer was quoted as saying by RevSportz: “If you coach a state side back home or a BBL franchise, you have one-tenth of the population barracking for you. When you coach India or Australia, you have the whole country behind you. So, if you lose, the whole country goes into mourning. You also have this great expectation not only from the fans, but the media.

The scrutiny is very, very intense, and you need to have your batteries fully charged to coach international teams. So, the next coach of India, whoever that might be, will need his batteries fully recharged, because when you get into that hot seat, you know you’re alive.”

Reflecting on India’s decade-long drought of an ICC trophy, Langer suggested that the key to success in major tournaments is to approach the crucial games with a more relaxed mindset and have a lot of fun before the big games. He admitted that Indian cricket fans are very passionate about the game, which creates intense pressure on the team and coaches.

Furthermore, Langer believes that the biggest challenge for the next coach of the Indian cricket team will be to manage and release the pressure effectively. The former Australian T20 World Cup-winning coach believes that talent is not an issue for India; the critical factor is learning how to stay relaxed and happy during key moments in the ICC tournaments.

It’s about working out how to release the pressure in the big tournaments: Justin Langer

He cited the example of the Australian cricket team’s approach, where having fun and maintaining a relaxed atmosphere off the field is mandatory, and it helps players perform better in high-stakes matches by reducing the overall pressure they feel. So, Langer advised India to create an environment where players can stay relaxed and handle pressure with ease, and it will be a key to unlocking India’s potential and ending their wait for an ICC trophy.

Langer stated: “Indian cricket fans are so passionate about the game, they so want to win, that you can feel it. We’ve felt it here at LSG. We could feel this pressure building from all around. That’s why coaching the Indian international team would be such an incredible project. It’s not about talent, it’s about working out how to release the pressure in the big tournaments and big moments.

What I’ve learned about the Australian psyche over the years is that while we’re so serious about winning every game we play, when you walk off the field, it’s like being in a nightclub the whole time. It’s so much fun. We’ve almost learned a way to release the pressure. When it comes to the crunch matches, the finals, players have to be relaxed. They have to be happy. There’s enough pressure already. That, to me, is the key to unlock for teams to be successful in the big tournaments.”