LANGER TELLS AUSSIES: RELAX AND WE’LL DO IT

THE barefooted Aussies reckon their best chance of finding a way past England is to relax.

Gone is the angst, acrimony and soul searching of the previous year in which their trio of cheating ball-tamperers brought shame on the game.

Instead, coach Justin Langer insists they have learned and changed and will keep a Zen outlook on the next couple of days thanks to moments like walking the Oval turf with no shoes or socks on as a ritual (below).

“It was a nice thing to do,” said Langer, who used to do the same thing with opening partner Matthew Hayden before each Test.

“We walked a lap of the Oval, l, we had a tough game against South th

Africa, it’s just about staying as s relaxed as possible.

“We know we’re going to be up against it. England are a great team and we’ve got to be at our best, and the best way to be at your best is to be nice and relaxed.

“If you go back 12 months there here wasn’t much to be relaxed and chilled about in Australian cricket, was there?

“We went through a major crisis. It didn’t just affect our cricket, it affected our country. We got to work on being more humble in what we do and being focused on playing good cricket.”

Langer confirmed Matthew Wade would replace the injured Usman Khawaja in the squad but that batsman Peter Handscomb would be the one playing tomorrow. Even though he expects David Warner and Steve Smith to get some flak from the crowd, he called on his big-game players to make the difference.

He added: “Our guys have had a good crack at it the last six or seven weeks, so it will be a good chance for them to harden up before the Ashes as well. Mentally strong players, the champions, stand up in big games.”