New Australian cricket coach Justin Langer puts emphasis on player behaviour as team seeks to win back respect from public

BANTER is fine but personal abuse is out under new Australian cricket coach Justin Langer, who officially took charge of the team on Saturday.

New Australian cricket coach Justin Langer at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday.

BANTER is fine but personal abuse is out under new Australian cricket coach Justin Langer.

Langer on Saturday took charge of the Australian cricket team he will guide in all formats for four years with a clear message about the behavioural standards expected of them after the ball tampering scandal in South Africa.

Langer’s first assignment will be a five-match, 50-over tour of England this month where Australia’s manners will be scrutinised as closely as the Queen’s butler. It is a tour where behaviour means more than results by a considerable margin.

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Langer spoke to players and coaches in Brisbane on Saturday about the necessary behavioural improvements and, while always enjoying the banter which is part of the game’s rich history, his feeling about personal abuse is that you would not tolerate it in the wider society such as your local bar, so why should it be tolerated on a cricket field?

“Get it clear from day one,’’ Langer said.

New Australian cricket coach Justin Langer at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday.

“We have to aim to be No. 1 in professionalism, No. 1 in honesty and humility. It does not matter how many runs you score. If you are not a good bloke, that is what people remember. Our mateship is really important. Sticking together.’’

Langer was uncertain how long it would take his squad to win back the respect of the Australian public.

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“I won’t take one tour or one year. It will take one behaviour, one thousand behaviours, one million behaviours to win back respect. If we behave well on and off the field, we will earn some trust and respect back.

“The Australian public loves the Australian cricket team but there is more to it than just being good cricketers.’’

Australian bastman Usman Khawaja at an indoor training session at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday.

Langer is expecting his team to be sledged in England by the press and media, just as he copped it many times as a player on his three Ashes tours.

Once in the West Indies Langer was taunted by a Calypso playing crowd but won them over when he playfully danced off the ground to the tune of their music after he was dismissed. The moral was sometimes it’s best to play along rather than protest.

“We are expecting plenty from the crowds and the media but that is England. When you are winning all the time and you are squeaky clean you still cop it,” he said.

“We will cop it just as much as usual. That is OK. It will be a good experience for our younger guys.

“It has to become white noise. When you bat, I had one ball in Bangalore when I could not get the noise outside my head. Usually when you bat it is like silence. That is what we have to do. Just concentrate on what we are doing.’’

Australia’s 50-over record has been patchy since winning the 2015 World Cup and Langer sees some basic improvements.

Spinner Ashton Agar trains indoors with the Australian team at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Saturday.

“To me it is really clear. You need good athletes. You have to be able to field well and be really fit to run hard between the wickets,” he said.

“We have to take responsibility with the bat. We have probably got away from that the past year or so. Our ranking would suggest that.’’

Langer said wicketkeepers Tim Paine and Alex Carey would be unlikely to play in the same team and he has been impressed by new captain Paine’s resilience as a cricketer.

“He is a good guy. I have never had much to do with him professionally,” he said.

“What I like about Painey is he has been through some really tough times with his broken finger. He was talked about as an Australian captain at 22 then went through some really tough times and it is always good to see players come back better.’’

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Originally published as New Australian cricket coach Justin Langer puts emphasis on player behaviour as team seeks to win back respect from public