Australia vs. West Indies cricket: Hostilities between current stars and Justin Langer supporters remain

Behind the smiles and hugs in Perth, the sad, inescapable reality is that fractures remain between Australia’s current stars and Justin Langer supporters.

Here is hoping Pat Cummins’ pre-match hug with Justin Langer can be the start of a wider healing process for Australian cricket.

Fans certainly responded to the sentiment from the pair and there was no outward sign of unfriendliness from the crowd towards Australian players at Optus Stadium; a positive endorsement of the way Cummins’ and his team have approached a challenging and emotional week with class.

After a week of explosive headlines about his fallout with former players, Langer declared the embraces he shared on Wednesday with his “little brothers”, was proof that perception is not always reality.

Be that as it may, the sad, inescapable reality is that other relationships in the game have been impacted by Langer’s messy exit as Australian coach.

During the World Cup there was at least one example of hostility between a current Australian star and a former player before a match.

There have been reports over the past year that current players have deliberately given some players from the golden era a wide berth if they were drinking in the same bar rather than risk being caught in a verbal showdown over Langer.

Deep scares remain despite Justin Langer’s peace talks in Perth. Picture: Getty Images.

Saddest of all is reports there has been a lack of interaction between Mitchell Johnson and members of the current bowling attack this year, who were all as close as brothers and bled together winning Ashes and World Cups.

Johnson called Cummins “gutless” and accused him of having an “agenda” and failing “his first big Test as captain” in a savage newspaper column he wrote at the height of Langer’s departure as Australian coach.

It was heavy stuff written at an emotional time but Cummins’ strong but mature response to Langer’s “cowards” comments this week show what his tensions are towards making peace.

Johnson is a good person and sensitive soul and hopefully Langer’s morning reuniting with just about every member of the Australian XI on the Perth outfield can trigger a wider reconciliation, especially given Johnson is here commentating in Perth and will be on the field before and after play.

Cummins has already made a point of meeting with Fox Cricket commentator Adam Gilchrist, and intends to also reach out to other former greats who are close mates with Langer and fiercely defended him last summer.

It’s important for the game, because life is too short for something as fleeting as Langer getting moved on as Australian coach to permanently fracture bonds that should be the very fabric of the game.

Especially now that Langer has graciously accepted this week that in hindsight, his time had come to step aside as Australian coach.

Surely the deaths of Rod Marsh, Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds this year serve as solemn proof of what really matters.

As Mark Taylor wisely said earlier this week, the game needs to be bigger than dragging itself down focusing on individuals.

Australia’s pace attack appear to have fallen out with Mitchell Johnson (second from right). Picture: Darren England

This week, Usman Khawaja demonstrated the joys of when genuine friendships do form across generations, when he posted about a signed jersey his boyhood idol Gilchrist had recently gifted him.

Khawaja didn’t support the Australian team as a kid because he couldn’t relate to them. That was until Gilchrist came along and he found a hero.

That hero is now a friend.

At a time when the public’s relationship with cricket is under the microscope, current and former players can help the game – and themselves – by putting the Langer saga to bed once and for all.

AUSSIES PREPARE FOR HOSTILE ‘HOME’ CROWD

- Robert Craddock

They don’t call it the Wild West for nothing …

It’s anyone’s guess what fate awaits the Australians when they walk out on suddenly hostile turf against the West Indies in Perth this week.

In all probability skipper Pat Cummins will take the new ball from the end where a grandstand is named after Justin Langer, the controversial former Australian coach who may be out of favour with Cricket Australia but remains a favourite local son.

One small mercy for Australia is if they do cop a ribbing is the knowledge that others have copped worse.

At least they won’t be trailed into the dressing room by a fan and get a compressed ball of wet newspaper thrown into their faces!

This year is the 30th anniversary of a Test against the Windies in Perth when champion gloveman Ian Healy copped this unexpected serve after he was followed down the players’ race by an angry fan who threw a rolled up ball of newspaper in Healy’s face, prompting him to drop his bat and helmet.

The source of the outrage was that Healy had committed the unforgivable “crime’’ of been chosen ahead of Perth gloveman Tim Zoehrer in the Australian Test side.

The incident sparked frantic scenes and the man was later arrested and ejected from the ground.

“The guy was a country cricketer and I think he was down for their country week,’’ Healy told News Corp.

“A few of us were copping it over there. I remember Mike Whitney was copping it as well.

“I copped it because of the Tim Zoehrer thing but it was broader than that and quite widespread.’’

Ian Healy was famously hit in the head by a rolled up newspaper in Perth.

Former Test stars who have felt the wrath of Perth’s parochialism will be surprised if there is no crowd fallout to the Langer affair, no matter how small the crowd is at Optus Stadium.

“Justin is a golden haired boy in Perth so I would expect something for sure,’’ Healy said.

“I think there will probably be a bit of angst there.’’

Didn’t expect anything less than the honesty JL gave in this one.

See the full chat with Justin Langer on @backchat__ here:https://t.co/VZMCbGEIhipic.twitter.com/uEGvZof18P

— Will Schofield (@WillSchofield) November 22, 2022

Players in Allan Border’s teams of the mid-1980s used to joke that Perth was Australia’s first “away’’ game of the season.

“It came from the fact there were a lot of English and South African people living in Perth so they would be well supported and our own support was not great,’’ Healy said.

Perth has always been protective of its own. Adam Gilchrist also copped some sledging when he moved from Sydney to take over from Zoehrer at state level for West Australia.

If Gilchrist can cop it any one can.

Originally published as Australia vs. West Indies cricket: Hostilities between current stars and Justin Langer supporters remain