Langer in selection squabble

JUSTIN Langer has refused to be drawn into a slanging match with Geoff Lawson, despite feeling the former Test bowler got “personal” in a stunning attack on his integrity as a selector.

The Australian coach opted to bite his tongue when asked yesterday about comments made by Lawson on a Sydney radio station accusing him of “playing favourites”.

Lawson’s stinging take down of the selection process where only two men are currently picking the team (Langer and Trevor Hohns) came after he was unsuccessfully interviewed for the recent vacancy on the panel, which will soon be filled by Tasmanian George Bailey.

According to Lawson, Peter Siddle’s call-up to the Test squad for Boxing Day was an example of Langer “playing favourites”, while he also accused the coach of not watching state cricket.

Langer opted not to fire back, but did point to the ODI

BEN HORNE

axing of Marcus Stoinis — a West Australian he has known since the players’ youth — as a fierce defence of his impartial character as coach.

Langer appeared visibly irritated when Lawson’s comments were put to him at a press conference, repeating the phrase, “It’s part of the job” over and over.

However, he was ultimately measured in his response.

“It’s part of the job. It’s part of the job. It’s part of the job. And I just take it on the chin,”

Langer said. “It’s not my style to get personal. I’ll just take it on the chin. It’s part of the job unfortunately.

“Stoin, you talk about favourites. I’ve known Stoin since he was a little kid. These are all hard decisions of course.”

Lawson slammed Langer’s role as a selector.

“He’s certainly a Siddle fan, isn’t he?” Lawson said on The Big Sports Breakfast.

“Justin Langer has his favourites, unfortunately sometimes he plays them as well.”

Langer says his decision to skip January’s ODI tour of India was a case of him needing to recharge his batteries and walk the talk. Langer has spent close to 18 months on the road, dating back to a UAE tour at the start of last summer and including the World Cup and Ashes campaigns. Australia still have tours of NZ and South Africa to come this summer after the India series.

With this in mind, Langer will stay home in Perth and hand the coaching baton to assistant Andrew McDonald for the tour of India.