Langer to lay it out for Aussies
JUSTIN Langer’s cricket blueprint will be revealed this weekend when Australia’s one-day squad gathers for a pre-tour camp in Brisbane.
Langer, for the first time as Australian coach, will address players as a collective to detail the on-field response to the ball-tampering scandal.
“We will get together as a group and sit down and I’m sure we’ll outline a few things,” wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey said yesterday.
“Obviously, go over what has happened the last couple of months and with the new squad we have got, start fresh and get stuck into the UK tour.
“I have had a brief chat with Justin Langer and am just really looking forward to getting to know him, on more of a personal level, and learn about the way he wants us to go about our cricket.
“We have seen with Western Australia’s success and the people they are, they are obviously very respectful and hardworking on the field, and once you get off, they’re really good guys.”
Tim Paine will captain Australia in the one-day internationals and Aaron Finch will lead the T20 side, with Carey shocked to be his vice-captain.
“To get that phone call, I was obviously really surprised,” said Carey, who has played five T20s and one limited-overs game for his country.
“It’s a really nice phone call to take at the time and now it’s sinking in a little bit, it’s exciting. Hopefully my game doesn’t change too much, just keep doing what I have been doing.
“I think my leadership is more through my actions and leading by example, and I will learn a lot off these senior guys, I’m sure.”
The five-match one-day series starts on June 13 and offers the Australians valuable reconnaissance before the 50over World Cup in England at the same time next year.
“It’s a big focus this tour to hopefully getting a squad that might be together in 12 months’ time for the World Cup,” Carey said.
Meanwhile, mercurial allrounder is Glenn Maxwell says he is entering a critical phase of his career as he aims to finally lock down a spot in Australia’s Test side under new coach Langer.
He is eyeing off an Australia A tour of India in August as an opportunity to put his name forward for Test selection.
Australia will play Tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates later this year, with the tour likely to be held in September or October.
Langer has forecast that the preceding Australia A tour will act as a batting audition for the Pakistan series, with spots up for grabs in the absence of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
Each of Maxwell’s Tests have been played in the subcontinent. The 29-year-old scored his maiden Test century during last year’s tour of India before also taking part in the tour of Bangladesh.