Langer calls for peace in TV war

Justin Langer admits squads will be bigger but says broadcasters and cricket bosses must sit down and work out a win-win for both parties

Justin Langer says he wants broadcasters and Cricket Australia to sort out their difference Picture: Getty Images

Justin Langer has called on frustrated broadcasters to sit down with Cricket Australia to navigate a path through the conflict that has seen Seven threaten to walk away from the game.

“I just like win-win,” he said. “I like people, whether its Cricket Australia and the ACA (Australian Cricketers Association), whether it is Cricket Australia and our partners the broadcasters.

“It would be no surprise to anyone that partnerships to me are everything. My opening partnership, my partnership with my wife, partnership with my family, my partnership with my players and friends, I’m a very loyal person.

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“I like to think in partnerships you have honest conversations, you sit down together and you get win-win situations. In this case I hope and I’m sure it will be because for the health of the game and to put smiles on the face of people who love cricket we are looking for win-win.”

Langer had appeared to hint at future conflict when he’d said before leaving Australia for a white-ball series against England that everybody would need to compromise this summer, indicating that teams would need bigger squads which would rob the Big Bash League of access to even more players than usual.

Seven West chief executive James Warburton was so angered by the prospect he suggested last week that the network may as well be broadcasting grade cricket which would cost nothing instead of the BBL which cost the broadcasters millions every year.

Langer admitted squads would be bigger because of the virus.

“I guess an indication is that we brought a 21-man squad over here for this tour and a lot of it has to do with biosecurity and some of it because we had to get some match practice in as we have over the last few days,” he said.

“I would imagine the squads would be a little bigger. Usually we have 14 players then we let a few guys go, but with the border restrictions that’s not going to be as easy. We haven’t settled on a number yet but we’ll keep working through that.”

The Australians played the second of their T20 warm up games at Southampton on Tuesday night ahead of the first game against England on Friday.

Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne both hit centuries while Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis scored half centuries in the intra-squad game.

Labuschagne’s, even allowing for Langer’s hyperbole, sounds like one of the better innings you will never see and may have firmed him up for a start in the T20 side ahead of Stoinis.

“Absolutely sublime; it was brilliant to watch, actually,” he said. “What a young player, as we know. Who could have guessed his acceleration in improvement? That’s what we love to see.

“We’ve had a pretty settled T20 side over the last 12 months or so and all we can ask for is that guys bang so hard they are putting pressure on the guys in there.

“So, whether Marnus plays this series or not, or certainly the first game on Friday night, time will tell; we haven’t decided that yet. But he’s certainly done, as has always been the way since coming into international cricket, everything he possibly could. It was classic to watch!

“He was hitting Pat Cummins, the world’s best, over point for six. And his partnership with Alex Carey was just so much fun to watch.

“It was great watching two great young Australian players going in hard against top opposition so it was great practice.”