Australian Test captain Tim Paine defends coach Justin Langer after internal player review criticises his intensity

Justin Langer has allegedly been at the centre of a player review scrutinising his mannerisms, but Aussie skipper Tim Paine says the coach has the team’s full support.

Captain Tim Paine and coach Justin Langer at training. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Tim Paine has declared Australian coach Justin Langer has the total support of his players but said all members of the entourage would be given honest feedback in a deep dive to improve performance.

Test skipper Paine, in Brisbane completing a level three coaching certificate, strongly defended Langer who is understood to have been the centre of player review feedback suggesting he needs to tone down his dressing room intensity during matches.

“Professional coaching, whether it is AFL or NRL or the Australian cricket team, is a very difficult caper,’’ Paine said.

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“What I would say is I know I speak for all of our players (when I say) that JL has done a bloody good job in a really difficult time.

“We all now feel as a team we want to evolve and improve and JL is a part of that.

“It is not him by himself or us by ourselves … we are all 100 per cent behind JL and the job he is doing.

“We have a team review at the end of the Indian series which is a pretty common factor in professional sports … from Justin to our last player, everyone will get feedback they can improve on.

Australian Test cricket captain Tim Paine says he supports coach Justin Langer 100 per cent. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“We will go to the Gold Coast in a couple of weeks to delve a bit deeper into that … we are trying to create an environment to give people feedback.

“We obviously did not play as well as we liked against India and we all want to improve from Justin down.’’

Paine will lead Australia into next summer’s Ashes series in which their odds have been slashed after New Zealand, with six players missing, inflicted a 1-0 series defeat on a woeful England side with this week’s eight wicket victory at Edgbaston.

“If we are being realistic it is a very different England team we will see in the Ashes. It wasn’t England strongest team and they will come here with Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer and probably play a spinner. We will take a bit from it but not read too much into it.’’

New Zealand play India at Southampton in the Test match world championship final this week with Australia’s watching on with heavy hearts after a slow run rate in the Boxing Day Test cost them a place in the final.

“Thanks Boonie,’’ Paine said in reference to Australian match referee and fellow Tasmanian David Boon who made the call to penalise the Australians.

Paine and Langer have been under heavy scrutiny since Australia’s disappointing loss to India last summer on home soil. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

With up to seven players likely to withdraw from Australia’s expanded squad for its white ball tour of the West Indies next month, Paine admitted bubble life was a major challenge for the players.

“It is certainly an issue, there is no doubt about that. It will certainly be one of the challenges for the modern day player,” he said.

“Going away and doing two weeks (quarantine) either side can be quite draining.

“We have some guys who have done that six or seven times, so there is 14 weeks out of your year sitting in a hotel room by yourself.

“It’s important you have depth in your squad so you can cover it.’’

Originally published as Australian Test captain Tim Paine defends coach Justin Langer after internal player review criticises his intensity