Australian coach Justin Langer has terse exchange with journalist over ‘whispers’ about Glenn Maxwell
Australian coach Justin Langer has had a terse exchange with a journalist over ‘whispers’ about Glenn Maxwell and the popular all-rounder’s continued omission from the Test team. WATCH INSIDE
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Australian Test coach Justin Langer has had a terse exchange with a journalist, while strongly denying speculation selectors have an underlying issue with Glenn Maxwell’s personality.
Langer on Thursday shot down rumours there were other forces at play behind the Victorian batsman being overlooked for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
“Glenn is crystal clear from me and the selectors on what he needs to do to get back in the Test team,” he said.
“There have been some reports about personality: it is literally false. It’s not true. All the conjecture about it — that’s all part of the noise.”
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In a tense back and forth with an Australian journalist, Langer was quizzed on Cricket Australia’s dealings with Maxwell last year - when the all-rounder was controversially left out of an Australia A tour of India, before being overlooked for the away series against Pakistan.
It has been widely reported that there was a request from Cricket Australia to Maxwell to not take up an opportunity with an English county side last year - so that he could focus on the Australia A tour.
Maxwell was miffed when he was later passed over for that tour, which allowed other contenders - notably Marnus Labuschagne - to leapfrog him in the line for the Pakistan series.
But Langer firmly denied any knowledge of such a directive when challenged on Thursday.
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Justin Langer: “Are you certain that’s what happened?”
Journalist: “I’m asking, Justin”
JL: “What are you asking?”
Journalist: “I’m asking who gave the directive ... Trevor Hohns said he wasn’t aware of such a directive. I’m asking who on the selection panel did say that to Glenn?”
JL: “Did it happen?”
Journalist: “That’s my question.”
JL: “Well you’re telling me it did happen, I’m asking did it happen.”
Journalist: “So you have no knowledge of that being said to Glenn or his management?”
JL: “I’ve got zero knowledge of that ... careless whispers.”
Langer then apologised to the journalist for his feisty reaction.
“Sorry everyone for getting grumpy. We can talk about it after,” he said.
“The truth is a beautiful thing.”
Maxwell has gone on record in the past to say he was advised not to take up any county deals last year.
“I had a few offers to go play county cricket in England and they were originally knocked back with a chance to play in the A’s series,” Maxwell told SEN Radio last September.
“Then to get told not to play in the A’s series and have a rest, I was understanding of that and their reasoning behind that.
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