Langer: Brace for sledging

New Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has warned his players to be ready for a barrage of verbal abuse from English fans during the upcoming one-day series.

It’s already happened as the fallout to the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa continues.

British media reported that Australia’s opening day-night game at Sussex saw the crowd treat the visitors with a ‘‘predictable lack of ceremony while they were in the field. It was evening-time and the drink and jibes flowed freely’’.

Langer said that was just a fact of life for his players until they could repair their tarnished image following the bans to team leaders Steve Smith and David Warner along with youngster Cameron Bancroft.

England’s notorious Barmy Army can be merciless and will surely remind the Australians of their sins once the internationals start this week.

‘‘People are going to abuse us like they did last night . . . [comments about] sandpaper, cheats, bunch of convicts. It won’t just be here in England. We know we’re going to need thick skins. It’s going to have to become white noise,’’ Langer said in an interview with the Sunday Times.

‘‘At the moment our reputation isn’t great. It’s really important for our community, our society, that we start building heroes for our kids. That’s how the game will keep thriving.’’

Australia have beaten Sussex and Middlesex in their two warm-up matches and play the first of five ODIs against England on Thursday.