Another ugly Aussie in the frame of a game in trouble
Justin Langer would be a bad choice in a new cricket culture
● Australian cricket’s revolution will be betrayed. At least, it will be if you believe the papers that reported this week that Justin Langer was set to replace Darren Lehmann — a claim promptly denied by the suits, who said the appointment of Australia’s next coach had yet to be made.
But Langer remains the frontrunner for the job. Whether you trust the press or the pinstripes, the fact that he is even in the frame is a worry.
South Africa’s players remember him as an unpleasant opponent — even by Australia’s standards.
“He was a very tough customer and he had his bit to say on the field,” said Boeta Dippenaar, who played against Langer in five tests.
“His opening partner, Matthew Hayden, was just as tough but he was good company off the field. I can’t say the same about
Justin.
“He didn’t strike me as a people’s person, and as a coach you need to be able to relate to people whose viewpoint you possibly don’t agree with.”
How Langer could be part of any sincere attempt to rebuild a team culture whose ugliness was exposed by the ball-tampering scandal beggars belief.
Langer was the David Warner of his time. How can he be considered part of the eradication of the monster he and Warner helped create and grow?
If any good has come out of Australia’s cheating it’s that cricket everywhere has been given a priceless opportunity to examine every aspect of the game and how it presents itself to the world.
The problem is far from Australian only and far from cricket’s only problem. The game needs to stop and think about important issues. But will it? And who will do so?
Kumar Sangakkara, for one, who wrote in a column on Wisden’s website this week: “Whether it’s using fingernails, biting the ball, Brylcreem, a Murray Mint, a lozenge, a zipper on your pants — and now sandpaper — ball-tampering is an evil that has got a free pass [for more than 30 years].
“The responsibility has to be shared between all the players, captains, administrators, all who have known that this was happening and had seen it, but shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘Well, it’s just part of the game’.”
You can feel South Africa’s players cringing: zips, fingernails and mints have been proven to be their ball-tampering equipment in the past five years.
Also this week, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations released their “men’s professional cricket global employment report 2017”.
In it, Darren Sammy is quoted as saying, “The crowds don’t lie and T20 cricket is great for fans . . . The cricket world is in many ways now like football and playing for your club is now the peak for a lot of players.”
Is Cricket South Africa listening? On May 1, as things stand, most of the country’s professionals will be out of contract. No players equals no game.
It’s been a big week for cricket. The coming days will be bigger.
Ball-tampering is an evil that has got a free pass Kumar Sangakkara Former Sri Lankan cricket captain