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Langer expresses gratitude to South Africa

Justin Langer has penned a heartfelt thank-you letter to South African cricket for sparing Australia the ugly crowd abuse they faced in England.

The Australian coach admitted he had held fears his side would walk into an ambush on their return to the scene of the 2018 ball- tampering scandal.

But the tour has been devoid of any hostility, and Langer has personally reached out to Cricket South Africa chief executive Jacques Faul to express gratitude for taking preemptive steps to ensure the Australians were not exposed to personal abuse in the stands.

Officials issued edicts to every ground, demanding vigilance from security.

CSA even took the extraordinary step of printing a plea to fans in national newspapers to show respect, as well as prolonged announcements over the PA system before games.

Two sandpaper-wielding spectators were ejected in Johannesburg, and another was spoken to by integrity officers last Saturday at Paarl.

“I’m blown away by how hospitable, how welcoming, how warm they have been,”

Langer said of the South African public ahead of last night’s second ODI.

“I was really nervous about this tour. I was bracing for it (a repeat of England last year), but it’s been incredible. At the grounds, at the hotels, everywhere.”

Rather than use Australia as easy targets, it seems South Africans have embraced the redemptive rebuild engineered.

Langer was invited last week to address the coaching staff of Cape Town’s Super Rugby franchise, the Stormers, with the locals eager to find out how Australia had turned the ship around so significantly in the space of 18 months.

“They invited me to have dinner with them and talk to

Langer has them, and I said I did the same as I did with the WA team when I first took over Western Australia. I went in really hard at the start,” Langer said.

“Because if you’re going to change things you’ve got to go in hard. So I went in hard early and then I mellowed out big time since.

“The point is we’re becoming liked again. And if we’re seeing it in South Africa, and we’re certainly seeing it in Australia, that’s a great sign.”