Cricket 2022/23: All the news and analysis in the lead up to the first Test vs. West Indies in Perth

If term limits are good enough for the US presidents, they’re good enough for the Australian cricket coach according to Usman Khawaja and the current coach agrees.

Andrew McDonald has privately indicated to players he will not fall into the same trap as Justin Langer by trying to fight on as Australian coach beyond his current deal.

Leading stars Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head have lauded McDonald’s outstanding man management skills and slammed assumptions painting him as a soft touch just because he is different to the old school Langer as false.

However, regardless of their contrasting approaches to the job, Usman Khawaja has revealed a typically straight-shooting conversation he had with McDonald before he took over the reins from Langer, where he warned of the perils of coaching all three formats at the international level for an extended period.

Australian players have lauded coach Andrew McDonald’s outstanding man management skills. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

It was advice former Australian coach Darren Lehmann had also imparted on Langer last summer, having learnt the hard way, after health issues and the culmination of the Sandpapergate scandal, that he had stayed on too long in the high-pressure job.

In his column in the West Australian newspaper on Saturday, Langer himself accepted his time had come, as much as the circumstances and handling have hurt him.

McDonald signed a four-year contract to lead Australia, and Khawaja believes Cricket Australia should make that just about the limit for any appointed coach.

“This job is tough and I always think, in my personal opinion, Australian coaches shouldn’t have more than a four-to-five year window where they can coach,” said Khawaja.

“Because the job will get you down.

“And things change so quickly in international sport. I really do think there’s a timeline for coaching.

“And I’ve said this. I had this conversation with Andrew McDonald even before he became the coach, and he actually agreed with me.

“Coaches doing all three formats, I think do have a timeline.

“US Presidency (has a term), my personal opinion is there needs to be a similar thing for an Australian coach, because it’s a very tough gig to do it for a long time where you are consistently away, travelling and under scrutiny.”

Khawaja maintains Langer was the perfect appointment for Australian cricket in the wake of the cultural turmoil around Sandpapergate, but similarly believes McDonald is the right man for now.

Usman Khawaja has spoken with Andrew McDonald about his belief that Australian cricket coaches should have term limits. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

The narrative that Langer’s hardness wore down players has led to assertions that McDonald must be the polar opposite.

Hazlewood has rubbished those suggestions and said McDonald’s ability to deal with players individually shouldn’t be misconstrued as being ‘soft.’

“Definitely. He’s a man’s man,” said fast bowling leader, Josh Hazlewood.

“He’s a great player manager. He’s so adaptable to every player. Obviously the XI players are different. Sometimes you have 15 on tour. Every player is different and he just understands what they need at certain times.

“I’d say he’s more hands on than any other coach I’ve had. Whether that’s positive or negative feedback or just discussions all the time about what can we do here to get better.

“His cricket brain is unreal. He never doesn’t have an answer, really … it’s not just ‘do this, do that.’

“It’s about, ‘what do you think here?’ And, ‘I think this.’

“And he finds some common ground.

“And it’s not just one or two players, it’s to every player. He finds that relationship and … for one person to have that solid relationship with every player, I haven’t really come across that before I don’t reckon.”

Batsman Travis Head said the environment McDonald has created means intensity is confined to training and matches, and not a prevailing atmosphere hanging over the group.

“We’ve gone from one extreme to not so much the other extreme, but if you come to training … (young players say) ‘wow, it’s a really, really relaxed group and seems like an enjoyable group, but oh my God, when you walk into the nets, it’s like a switch gets flicked and it’s a completely different vibe.’

“And I think that’s all you can judge us on.

“One our performance on the field, which for the Test team has been extremely good for a period of time now.

“It’s been enjoyable under Ronners so far. Once we get to training it’s formal. You know if you get through training over the next four or five days that you’re ready for day one – it’s as simple as that.”

Starc plays down possible Aussie boo-fest in Langer country

Mitchell Starc hopes the West Australian public will be more keen on celebrating the end of its three-year exile from Test cricket than bothering to jeer the Australian team over Justin Langer.

The big fast bowler who is closing in on 300 Test wickets in the series against the West Indies in Perth starting on Wednesday said he had paid no attention to the explosive fallout from Langer’s CODE Sports podcast, but confirmed the team did address the matter before training at the WACA on Saturday.

Players discussed being aware of the outside noise, particularly given they have walked into Langer’s home town and their former coach will be commentating at the ground on Channel 7. There is a resolve from Australian players to embrace the Perth fans and Starc hopes that sentiment is reciprocated.

Mitchell Starc says his relationship with Justin Langer is still strong despite the recent drama.

“It’s Test cricket. We’re starting the summer in Perth, which is normally at the Gabba, so this is a big opportunity,” said Starc.

“This stadium is a fantastic place to play cricket. I think when we do get the chance to play here it’s a good one for the players.

“Hopefully we can show in our cricket the exciting cricket we can play here and likewise for the public, if they turn out and support it’s going to be a fantastic spectacle.”

Asked whether he felt the Australian team was on the nose in Perth, Starc said that was up for the WA public to decide.

“There’s been a lot of talk about not having Test cricket here for a long time. So hopefully the public can come and support that and show us what Test cricket means to them and hopefully we can likewise put on a good show for the West,” he said.

Test spinner Nathan Lyon said he wasn’t concerned about the prospect of the team being booed in their own country.

“No, I’m not worried about that. … people who want to come and sledge us or have personal attacks about us about something that they probably don’t really understand, that’s up to them,” said Lyon.

“I’m really hoping that we can play a really positive brand of cricket and the crowd can really get around the Australian cricket team and really enjoy it.”

Allan Border used to half joke that playing in WA was like playing in another country, but Starc said he’s never felt that.

“I can’t say I’ve felt that way. We’ve always had great crowds in Perth,” he said.

Justin Langer and Mitchell Starc when Australia played India in Perth in 2018. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Starc insists he maintains a good relationship with Langer and is not concerned about bumping into him at Optus Stadium, where the former coach and batting great has a grand stand named after him.

“It doesn’t bother me. I’d like to think I’ve got a pretty good relationship with Justin,” said Starc.

“We’ve exchanged a few text messages post World Cup so as far as I’m concerned I’m pretty comfortable with how my relationship is with JL.

“Obviously he’s commentating. I’m sure we’ll see him at the ground and through the summer.”

Lyon said that while the furore of recent days has been disappointing, he too is completely comfortable with his personal relationship with Langer.

“It’s disappointing to see but that time has passed,” he said.

“JL was great for the Australian cricket team over that four years so I’ve got no hard feelings towards JL at all.”

Hussey: Booing Aussies would ‘really hurt’ ex-coach Langer

Mike Hussey has urged Western Australia cricket fans not to jeer the Aussie team next week out of a mistaken sense of loyalty to their local hero Justin Langer.

The Perth crowd is arguably the most parochial of all Australian cricket audiences, and public sentiment in the west has been firmly with Langer since his acrimonious ousting as Australian coach earlier this year.

Those emotions may have only been pricked by Langer’s explosive comments about Pat Cummins and Aaron Finch earlier this week, and there are genuine concerns Australian players could be subject to booing in their own country when they walk out onto Optus Stadium for the first Test against the West Indies next Wednesday.

Mike Hussey has called on the supporters of his former Australian and WA teammate Justin Langer to refrain from booing the current Australian cricketers during the first test at Optus Stadium. Picture: AP Photo/Charles Verghese

Hussey, another WA icon, has issued an impassioned plea for Perth fans to refrain from booing, warning that Langer would be as hurt as anyone if such behaviour was to occur.

“ … I was concerned, I must admit. A little bit, because certainly in Perth there’s obviously a lot of support for JL,” Hussey told News Corp.

“He’s obviously been a legend of WA cricket and Australian cricket, so much loved, particularly in WA.

“But I was actually quite pleased he came out again (on Thursday) to say that it had blown up a lot more than what he’d expected, and that he actually has a really good relationship with Pat.

“And I hope. I really do hope – and I know JL would hope as well – that the Western Australian public cheer the Australian cricket team.

“I think that would actually hurt the team more if they didn’t cheer and if they booed the players or booed certain players or whatever.

“I think JL would be really hurt by that.

“I was actually glad to read this morning he’d come out and just basically tried to dampen what’s been a bit of a firestorm over the last 48 hours.”

While, Hussey is serious about his pleas to the WA faithful, captain Cummins is at least seeing the funny side of potentially walking into ‘enemy’ territory.

“Well, I actually did have a laugh with Patty,” said Hussey, a leading expert on Fox Cricket – the only place to watch every ball of the upcoming Test series available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

“I saw him at the airport (just after the exclusive Langer Code Sports interview broke) and I said, ‘it could be interesting, with Pat Cummins opening the bowling for Australia from the Justin Langer Stand end!’

“We had a bit of a giggle about it.”

Former Australian coach Justin Langer has played down reports of a rift between himself and current Australian cricketers. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

On Thursday night in an interview with Channel 7 in Perth, Langer revealed he had a “long talk” with Cummins on Monday and called a suggestion he was at war with his former players “utter rubbish”.

Langer claimed there was no rift between himself, Cummins or the playing group.

“Ironically, I spoke to Patty on Monday, we had a long talk about how the team was going, how he’s going, how his family’s going. And some of this rubbish is complete and utter rubbish,” Langer said on Seven.

“I’ve got so much respect for Patty Cummins, I think he’s a brilliant player, I think he’s an outstanding human being. So any thought there’s war between Patty and I could not be further from the truth.

“There was sort of talk about relating the word coward with Pat Cummins. If you listen to the podcast, I was actually praising Pat, I was praising Finchy, I was praising Tim Paine for giving me the feedback. I was actually complimenting them, not criticising them as it’s come out. It turns into a bushfire, what do you do?”

Langer also said he’d spoken to Steve Smith and other players since the interview was released and he couldn’t wait to see them in Perth for next week’s first Test.

“We (Cummins and I) texted last night,” Langer said on Thursday.

“Steve Smith rang me at lunchtime yesterday, we had a great talk, the vice-captain. Ironically, two days before I got half a dozen birthday messages from all the boys. Nathan Lyon sent me a birthday message, Mitch Marsh, all the rest.

“I’ve been in touch with these guys ever since I stopped being in the team and I can’t wait for the Test match to start next week, and the reason I can’t wait is I haven’t seen them. I haven’t seen the boys since I finished in February.”

Langer was adamant he wasn’t “bitter and twisted” about being forced out of his job.