Pat to meet Langer
Skipper tries to heal rift
PAT Cummins had quietly made plans to smoke the peace pipe with Justin Langer next week in Perth, before the disgruntled former coach’s latest explosive outburst.
The timing of Langer’s savage takedown of Cummins in an interview with CODE Sports does not mean the meeting won’t happen, because it was already the Australian captain’s intention to meet Langer to ease tensions before the summer. But the pointed public criticism levelled at Cummins and whiteball captain Aaron Finch 10 months after the event certainly changes the mood.
Unlike Langer, who has gone on the warpath one week before the first Test kicks off in his home town, Cummins has been working in the background trying to rebuild relationships with former players and prominent commentators, following the ill will that has festered since the coach’s acrimonious exit.
Cummins reportedly has already met former national keeper Adam Gilchrist. Langer was one of a number of former players and commentators the skipper had also been in contact with and intending to meet in Perth before next Wednesday’s first Test against the West Indies.
Langer will start a commentary role with Channel 7, critiquing the Australian team.
Cricketing figures are concerned about continuing damage to the team’s reputation should Langer continue to settle scores. While Langer claims Cummins and Finch failed repeatedly to give him direct feedback about grievances they had over his coaching style, Langer was given feedback about his volatile style in two independent reviews and other discussions involving senior leaders.
Players may not have been perfect in the process, but other coaches might have read the writing on the wall that the dressing room had been lost, and walked away. But Langer was determined to scrap until the end, adamant he had changed and that the T20 World Cup and Ashes wins last summer warranted a contract extension.
Langer believes he had an open-door policy, welcoming direct, honest conversations. But that’s in conflict with the experience of some players who didn’t feel Langer was quite so straightforward to deal with and were intimidated by his volatility. Cricket Australia might have mishandled Langer’s exit, but Cummins was one senior figure who articulately explained the reasons why the team felt it was time to head in a new direction.
On Wednesday, News Corp spoke to a number of current players who are feeling a range of emotions towards Langer.
There is anger that Langer is choosing to still publicly attack players 10 months after his exit. The other emotion is sadness Langer doesn’t appear to have moved on perhaps as well as he is making out.