Coronavirus hits home for Langer

CRICKET:

Cricket is seen as the sport that has been insulated from the coronavirus, but Justin Langer has felt the pain in a different way.

The Australian coach has revealed three of his four daughters have all lost their jobs, and he has also been floored by the impact on people’s lives in his role as a West Coast Eagles board member.

Langer said in a funny sort of way, the strict orders to stay at home resembled a kind of “Nirvana” for Australian cricketers who are used to living their lives out of a suitcase on the road.

However, unless the crisis is brought under control, cricket is bracing for its own Armageddon.

CA officials have been briefed to check up regularly on the mental health of players living alone, with Langer now all too familiar with how tough people are doing it.

“I’ve got four daughters at home and three of them have lost their jobs,” Langer said.

“It’s certainly been a great eye opener. Wow.

“That’s why in cricket, none of us can sit on our hands and think ‘we’ve got this time.’”

“Yeah we’re really fortunate (with the timing so far)… but if worse comes to worse and we lose a cricket season obviously we’ll learn lessons from the other codes living through it now.”

Cricket could be decimated itself if October’s World Cup was cancelled or the blockbuster home summer against India was impacted.

But should the lights come back on and the World Cup go ahead, Langer is adamant his Australian team will be well prepared, even if there’s likely to be international series being cancelled in the lead-up as the virus continues to hijack the world.

Ben Horne