‘I haven’t slept much’: Langer opens up on stresses of coaching Australia
Justin Langer has given a stark insight into how the stresses of being Australian coach have affected him - and his sleeping patterns - during his first summer in the job.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Justin Langer has given a stark insight into how the stresses of being Australian coach have affected him during his first summer in the job.
Langer admits he struggled to sleep in the lead-up to the first Test as his imagination tossed and turned over a nightmare where Australia lost to Sri Lanka at Fortress Gabba.
Selection decisions have also weighed heavily on the coach’s mind, although he is proud of the conviction and logic applied to picking the team for Brisbane.
Langer opened up about the angst he holds over how key calls might be perceived by the media and the wider public, revealing that he turned to trusted confidants for advice on the dilemma of Kurtis Patterson and Will Pucovski in Brisbane.
The dramatic events of the past 12 months have thrust Langer into a position where the scrutiny is fierce as he fights to rebuild Australian cricket from the ground up.
In an honest post-match interview, Langer laid bare the deep toll the ongoing task has taken on him and vowed to get better at not becoming consumed by outside noise.
“I kept thinking before the game, ‘imagine if we get beaten by Sri Lanka at the Gabba,’” he said.
“That’s why I haven’t slept much the past week. Hopefully sleep a bit easier (after the win).
“Confidence. It’s not even a cliché. You’ve got to build confidence. Winning is really important.”
Langer insists he didn’t wrestle with the controversial call to leave Pucovski on the sidelines. Rather he was worried about the way Patterson’s 11th hour entry might be reported and perceived.
“It wasn’t agonising at all. We decided and it was controversial. I spoke to a few people I trusted about it and we just felt it was a really common sense thing to do. We’ve been talking about rewarding talent,” said Langer.
“You agonise more probably at this point of the season about what’s going to get reported on if I’m completely frank.
“It shouldn’t be. Hopefully I’ll get tougher over the years that way and won’t think about that.
“But it was a commonsense decision. (Patterson) got 100 in both innings against Sri Lanka and you talk about rewarding performance. So when it came down to that, although we’d selected the squad before, I was really glad we had the courage to have that flexibility and bring someone in from outside that original squad.”
Some analysis concluded that Joe Burns must have pipped Pucovski at the post.
However, Langer indicated that Burns was always preferred for tactical reasons and that in the end the call came down to Patterson over Pucovski due to his late form surge.
“The reason Burnsy got the nod was that we’ve been looking to get … that engine room, that top three (firmed up),” said Langer.
“Burnsy is an experienced opening batsman and we felt on this wicket at his home ground, that the Gabba is always a tough place to open the batting on.
“Having an experienced opening batsman is important for this Test match, probably this Test series actually. That was why he got the nod and even a 39-run partnership under lights got us started, so that’s why he played.”
Langer said Pucovski has kept a journal during his first week in the Test camp and praised the 20-year-old’s handling of his difficult learning experience.
“I love the way he plays. He’s a really good-looking player. He’s a great catch. He’s a brilliant young kid. You can tell he wants to learn,” he said.
“It’s all about timing isn’t it, playing Test cricket. There’s only XI guys you can pick. He’s got a huge upside, huge potential and hopefully when the timing comes he’ll be ready to grab that opportunity.”
Every Test, ODI & T20I live, ad-break free during play and in 4K. Only on Foxtel. SIGN UP NOW!
‘Unbelievable’ Aussies look untouchable
It’s starting to look like everyone else is playing for second place as Australia looks to add another World Cup trophy to its brimming cabinet.
Analysis: Battle royale looms at the MCG
A potential Cameron Green sized hole has left Aussie selectors with a huge headache. And after having their first look at how to solve it, it’s now even more unclear, as a 19-year-old and a veteran both made monster hundreds.