Justin Langer warns players to keep behaviour in check in England
Australia’s newly-appointed coach Justin Langer has drawn the line in the sand over the players’ behaviour and expressed his desire to make Australia a proper professional side. The legendary cricketer has also added that the team is all but sure to receive a hostile reception from the English.
When Langer was officially announced as Darren Lehmann's successor as Australia's head coach for four years, he was expected to be a stern coach and not allow the players to cross the line, both on and off the field. And staying true to his nature, Langer also organised a camp in Brisbane to clear his intentions and ahead of the England tour, he has made it clear that no one should cross the line of control.
"I just addressed all the players and coaches. The main message is ... just the way we go about our business on and off the field, the behaviours that are expected. If we get it clear from day one, it makes things a lot easier. We have to aim to be No.1 in professionalism, No.1 in honesty, No.1 in humility,” Langer was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"It doesn't matter how much money, how many games, how many runs you made if you are not a good bloke that is what people remember.”
The upcoming tour of England is not going to be that easy a proposition for Australia, who are currently sitting at the No. 5 position in the ODI team ranking, due to the absence of their former leaders Steve Smith and David Warner, who were suspended for 12 months for their roles in the ball-tampering saga that rocked Australia cricket altogether during the Test series against South Africa. And given English fans normally seem to be very unforgiving, Langer is bracing for a hostile reception from them.
"I am expecting to cop plenty from the crowds and the media but that's England. Even when you are winning all the time and are squeaky clean, you still cop it. We will cop it just as much as usual. But that's ok. It will be a good learning experience for our young blokes and our experienced guys will help navigate that landscape,” Langer said.
After the ball tampering scandal, it has become a tough ask for the Australian cricketers to restore the public's faith. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has also set up an independent review, which is examining the organisation's "culture, processes, and governance". A separate "player and former player driven process" is also being undertaken to look at the Australian team's
"It won't take one
With the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup just over 12 months away, the five-match ODI series against England has come as a great opportunity for the reigning champions to finetune their limited-overs skills. Australia's 50-over form has really been lackadaisical for some time and the upcoming series will give them a chance to exact revenge of their 4-1 thrashing at home to the same opponent in January.
"To me, it is really clear. You need good athletes. You have to be able to field well and be really fit to run hard between the wickets. We have to take responsibility with the bat. We have probably got away from that the past year or so. Our ranking would suggest that."
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