Justin Langer resignation letter leaked after Australia exit

Justin Langer claims a lack of support from players, staff and board members for his Cricket Australia exit after resignation letter is leaked… as feisty coach apologises if his training methods were ‘too intense’

• Justin Langer’s resignation letter has reportedly been leaked by The Australian 
• Langer, 51, stood down from his coaching role after four highly successful years 
• He blamed a lack of support from players, staff and board members for his call
• Langer also apologised if his coaching methods came across ‘too intense’ 

Justin Langer has blamed a lack of support from players, staff and board members, apologising if his coaching methods were ‘too intense’ after his resignation letter was leaked by The Australian. 

Langer, 51, turned down a short-term contract extension with Cricket Australia on Thursday, leaving his post as men’s team coach after four successful years – in which he won the T20 World Cup and The Ashes.

The former batsman has since been linked with the England vacancy following Chris Silverwood’s sacking, and The Australian has reportedly obtained a copy of the resignation letter Langer sent to Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.

Justin Langer has blamed a lack of support from players, staff and board members for his exit

In the letter, Langer reveals he no longer felt supported by his players, staff and members of the board, amid concerns that his approach was ‘too intense’. 

‘After careful consideration I have decided not to accept this contract renewal, and as a result I believe it is in everyone’s best interests for the Australian cricket team to begin the next chapter immediately,’ he is reported to have written in his letter via Sky Sports.

‘If media reports are correct, several senior players and a couple of support staff don’t support me moving forward, and it is now apparent the CA board, and you Nick (Hockley), are also keen to see the team move in another direction. I respect that decision.

‘My life has been built on values of honesty, respect, trust, truth, and performance and if that comes across as “too intense” at times, I apologise,’ Langer wrote.

The 51-year-old turned down a short-term contract extension to remain as Australia’s coach

Langer said a lack of support from those at Cricket Australia was the reason for his departure

‘It is said that in any venture, if you leave things in a better place than when you started then you have done your job.

‘Whilst it is not up to me to judge, I hope Australians respect what has been achieved over the last four years in Australian cricket.

‘I am grateful that today, I am going out on a high.’

Langer’s exit has divided opinion Down Under, with former team-mate and Australia captain Ricky Ponting blasting the decision to let the head coach go. 

‘I actually think that’s a really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned,’ Pointing told ABC Radio.

‘It has been a really poor six months for the way that Cricket Australia as a whole have handled some of the better people in Australian cricket, being Langer and Tim Paine.

The former batsman also apologised if his coaching methods came across ‘too intense’ 

‘I think it’s almost been embarrassing the way they’ve handled those two cases.’

Current Test captain Pat Cummins’ refusal to defend Langer during a car-crash interview this week also stirred debate among pundits, with former bowler Mitchell Johnson unimpressed by his comments.

‘Pat Cummins has been lauded as some type of cricketing saint since his elevation to the top job this summer. Cummins might have delivered with the ball during the Ashes series, but he has failed his first big test as captain pretty miserably,’ Johnson wrote in The West Australian.

‘He had plenty of public opportunities to endorse an extension for Langer. So when he let it through to the keeper every time, it became pretty obvious he didn’t want it to happen.

‘Cummins holds a lot of power and must have been central to what’s happened. He’s clearly had an agenda to get in a coach he wants. His recent interviews have been gutless by not respecting his coach when he could have been upfront from the start.’

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has come in for criticism following Langer’s departure

Ricky Ponting (L) and Mitchell Johnson (R) have criticised chiefs and captain Pat Cummins

Cricket Australia chief Hockley also repeatedly contradicted himself during the shock press conference where Langer’s fate was announced. 

He said the board was ‘disappointed’ Langer didn’t accept the offer of a short extension and that he had done a ‘fantastic’ job while coach.

Hockley then said the board unanimously agreed to let Langer depart because there was a need to ‘transition’ away from him in the interests of ‘unity’ for the national team.

‘The decision to start a process of transition is what we believe is in the best interests of the men’s team for unity and future success,’ he said.

‘In the middle of last year, we did have some challenging conversations and some issues and I think credit to absolutely everybody throughout the national team (for that.’

Hockley also denied that the players had any influence on Langer’s exit. 

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