Cricket news: All the latest on Justin Langer’s future as Australian coach after Ashes triumph

They helped fix Australia’s reputation after the sandpaper scandal, but Tim Paine was denied a fairytale ending, while Justin Langer’s coaching future remains up in the air.

The party has left town, but two men responsible for resurrecting Australian cricket will meet for coffee in Hobart on Thursday with their futures unclear.

There will be no cigar smoking when coach Justin Langer catches up with Tim Paine who vacated his home for the fifth and final match of the series.

Paine was denied a fairy tale end to his career — bowing out an Ashes winning captain in a historic home Test — when he was forced into stepping down on the eve of the series over a lewd text exchange with a former Cricket Tasmania employee.

He was investigated and exonerated by Cricket Australia at the time, but given little choice when the incident from four years before became public and upset new members of the Cricket Australia board.

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Despite working tirelessly to repair Australia’s reputation in recent years, Justin Langer and Tim Paine face uncertain futures in cricket. Picture: Getty Images.

The woman involved has a court hearing in Tasmania on multiple counts of stealing from Cricket Tasmania and dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage.

Langer’s fate will be decided when the general manager of teams, Ben Oliver, presents to the board in February.

Cricket Australia has refused to guarantee the coach another contract saying it would make a decision after the Ashes.

Langer claimed he was “comfortable” with that approach on radio yesterday.

“It’s been four really big years and it’s an all-encompassing job and it’s a tough gig,” he told SEN radio in Perth.

“There’s plenty to be spoken about.”

Langer has not seen his family in Perth since September but was going to stay with the side and coach the white ball team in the series against New Zealand.

That series was cancelled on Tuesday when the visitors decided it was not worth enduring 10 days quarantine on return just to play three ODIs and a T20.

Langer, however, remains locked out of his state and must endure hard quarantine before making a quick turn around to fly out to Pakistan next month.

His fate could be decided before depending on what Oliver presents to the board.

Langer’s hopes of staying on as coach have surely improved after a dominant Ashes series. Picture: Getty Images.

Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting have both thrown their support behind Langer in the past week _ there is almost nobody in Australian cricket whose opinion carries the weight of those two.

Langer was at odds with senior players in the side, but since the selection panel and assistant coaches roles were changed he has taken a more hands off role and allowed the team leaders to navigate a more independent course.

Commentators find it hard to understand how a man who coached a team to victory in the T20 World Cup and Ashes as well as changing his methods as requested could be discarded.

Langer and Paine were critical to rehabilitating Australian cricket’s reputation and changing its approach following the sandpaper scandal.

The coach (and captain) was asked by the board and chief executive in 2018 to change the team’s behaviours and earn back the respect of the public. He was then asked to deliver more success.

He and Paine worked extremely hard behind the scenes in the early days and of late Paine had taken a leading role in creating a player-driven culture as it moved into a new era.

Tim Paine was denied a fairytale end to his career. Picture: Getty Images.

Former England captain and columnist for The Australian, Michael Atherton, described Langer’s situation as “extraordinary” on the Cricket Etcetera podcast this week.

“This is a team that has just won the T20 World Cup, that has just performed admirably in the Ashes and my reading of it, having read all your stories during our last English summer, clearly there was some disquiet about Justin’s methods, that he was a bit full on, if you like, certainly I had the impression during the World T20 that he’d slightly backed off a little bit, was a little bit more relaxed and that’s the sense in the Ashes,” Atherton said.

“That’s why we find it hard to understand because A there is a lot of success there and B he seems to have done what’s been asked of him and there is still this degree of uncertainty.

“If you get rid of him we’ll have him.”

Atherton believes that a little tension in the dressing rooms can be a positive.

“I’ve always felt a bit of tension is not a bad thing, clearly you can have destructive tension and you can have creative tension and I think a dressing room with absolutely no tension is not always a good place to be.

“Maybe coaches just have a shelf life,” he conceded. “Justin’s been doing it across four years and maybe there is a case for saying there’s a limited shelf life, I’m not sure.

“All our focus is on the coach here, but it depends where your team is at. England has a lot of young players … people that need driving, teaching, pushing, guiding and a character like Langer who is quite passionate and driven and intense would suit England’s Test team at the moment.”

THE NEWS LANGER WANTED TO HEAR AS TIME FRAME REVEALED

—Ben Horne

Justin Langer’s chances of holding onto his job as Australian coach have increased by the fact his deputy doesn’t want it.

Current assistant Andrew McDonald had been touted as a favourite to take over the reins of the Test team if Langer didn’t have his contract renewed, but News Corp understands the former Test player has no interest in the head position.

It comes as the world’s most sought-after coaching commodity Ricky Ponting declared “there is absolutely no way” Langer can be sacked as Australian coach.

News Corp can reveal that executive team manager Ben Oliver will present to the board in early February about the coaching roles as Langer’s four-year term comes to an end – with a final decision to be made on his future before the team leaves for Pakistan later next month.

With a well-respected figure like McDonald out of the running, it leaves very few obvious candidates available to Cricket Australia should they decide to make a move on Langer – outside former England coach, Trevor Bayliss, who is currently Sydney Thunder coach.

Justin Langer celebrates with his players after the 4-0 Ashes triumph. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Ponting joined fellow heavyweights and ex-teammates Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist in throwing his influential support behind Langer’s bid to be given a contract extension by Cricket Australia having just guided the team to historic World Cup Twenty20 and Ashes glory.

“Going back to Justin Langer, I can’t see how he cannot be re-signed, simple as that,” Ponting said on Channel 7.

“If he wants to go on in this role, there’s a bit speculation about whether they’ll split the roles and be a Test Match coach and a white ball coach.

“On performance, there is absolutely no way that Justin Langer cannot continue on as head coach of this Australian cricket team.”

Langer was the subject of intense behind-the-scenes criticism through 2021, as team leaders complained about his management style. But he has responded by stepping back and investing more control in his deputies Andrew McDonald and Michael Di Venuto.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said on Friday night that he wanted a decision from CA as soon as possible so all involved can have “clarity” on the situation.

Cummins hadn’t endorsed Langer when asked after the team went 3-0 up after the Boxing Day Test, but during the Hobart Test said; “we absolutely love JL.”

His previous silence had been read as an ominous sign for the coach as it is commonly accepted if there is tension between the two, the captain must always prevail.

Cummins, Aaron Finch and Tim Paine had met during the year with Cricket Australia’s chief executive and chair to express concerns about Langer’s coaching style and were encouraged to confront him.

The coach accepted the criticisms of his style and adapted, stepping back from micromanagement.

Ricky Ponting has declared there is absolutely no way Langer can be sacked. Picture: William WEST/AFP

Langer had cut a lonely figure at times through the summer, even as his side took control of the Ashes series.

His contract expires midway through this year but the coach is keen to continue.

Cummins said his team was now chasing world domination as Australia prepares for challenging overseas tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year.

“To be the best side in the world you have to win at home and more importantly, you need to be successful overseas,” said Cummins.

“We haven’t played a lot in the last couple of years. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India next year, England next year, it’s all really foreign conditions that will be our challenge.

“Hopefully this is just the beginning. I feel we’re all in a really good place. There’s no imminent retirees, so hopefully we’re building something big the next few years.”

The million dollar question now is will Langer be at the helm for the next chapter that awaits Cummins’ team.

Originally published as Cricket news: All the latest on Justin Langer’s future as Australian coach after Ashes triumph