Former Australian coach Justin Langer has backed Darwin to host international cricket
Former Australian coach Justin Langer has backed Darwin as the perfect location to host international cricket during the off-season, during an incredibly successful Top End T20 Series.
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Former Australian test coach Justin Langer says there is an “unbelievable opportunity” to host international cricket in the Top End off the back of the ongoing T20 series.
Langer is in Darwin for the Top End T20 series, which has pitted some of the best players in the country, including Jhye Richardson and Scott Boland, against each other.
Typically, Australian cricketers need to be abroad during the winter to ply their trade, but the Darwin climate provides the opportunity for players to still play cricket at that time of year.
Langer himself played test cricket in the Top End and loved the experience, and said the current series looked fantastic as an advertising product for the NT.
“I can’t think of a single reason why you can’t play international cricket up here,” Langer said.
“You’ve got the facilities, you’ve got the climate, and you’ve got the passion and having lived it before with first-hand experience it’s incredible.
“Now having watched it from an administrative point of view or from the outside the opportunity to play international cricket up here is tremendous.
“To have the Australian Cricket Team up here is not just great for the broadcasters or the game, but it’s great for the players, they love to come here.
“The feedback has been unbelievable on how much the players love to play here, coaches love to come here, so to see Mitch Starc or Pat Cummins here against whoever we attract would be huge.”
The 2024 edition of the Top End Series has been the biggest yet with Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, Strikers, ACT, Perth Scorchers and Tasmanian Tigers among the Australian sides.
They’ve taken on a strong NT Strike side led by D’Arcy Short and Jake Weatherald, and international outfits from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Langer is most recently the coach of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and believes a team from the premier T20 comp could eventually use the Darwin series as a launching pad too.
“I’ve watched T20 series all around the world, the thing that Darwin offers is that we can do it all around the year,” he said.
“For the young players who come up here for most of them their states are raining and wet, you don’t get better in indoor centres, you get better by playing games of cricket.
“It’s an incredible formula for success and I see no reason why this can’t be huge.
“I see huge benefit for the IPL, imagine if they could send their players to facilities like this in Darwin, I see it working, I see a real synergy there.”
Cricket NT chief executive Gavin Dovey said Territorians deserved the chance to watch international cricket in their own backyard.
“Cricket is Australia’s national sport,” he said.
“Our sport loving community deserve the opportunity to watch Australia and the best cricket teams in the world play here in our own backyard.”
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