Although David Warner agrees that the coach lost several significant parts of the team, he still thinks Cricket Australia made the wrong choice by just giving Justin Langer a six-month contract. The circumstances leading up to and following Langer’s departure as coach last year are a key focus of the second season of The Test documentary, which will be made accessible on Prime Video on Friday.
After Cricket Australia voiced worries about Langer’s ferocity at the conclusion of his original four-year contract, Langer left at the end of last summer. A fresh, six-month contract with no possibility of an extension was given to him, which he instantly rejected and resigned from.
Before the start of the Test summer, Langer expressed his unhappiness over the situation in a number of interviews and writings. Warner’s remarks follow those of Tim Paine, who in his memoirs similarly called the brief contract “embarrassing,” “unprofessional,” and “a shame,” alleging that CA took the easy route knowing Langer would reject it.
“He wished to continue coaching. To give him a six-month contract felt a little bit like a slap in the face “Warner stated in the film. Warner nevertheless revealed the team’s internal dynamics. He said that “he lost a good number of guys, and possibly the wrong players.”
The video has the players discussing the Langer scandal openly, and captain Pat Cummins told AAP this week that he hopes it will give context and lessen any residual public resentment over the situation.
Usman Khawaja discloses that several players were terrified of Langer, while Cummins claims that players were treading carefully around the coach in the first episode of the series. Nathan Lyon acknowledges that Langer, a former Test opener known for riding every ball, was up-and-down and difficult for him to manage.
However, players also clearly demonstrate Langer’s important role in the national team’s public relations resurgence and recovery from the ball-tampering controversy. Cummins, meanwhile, is sure that dropping Langer should not have come as a surprise.
According to Cummins, “The Ashes, it all came to a head when his contract came up.” “Nothing unexpected occurred. In the prior 18 to 2 years, we had discussed many of these topics. When we needed him in those early years, he was amazing.”
According to Cummins and other players, the squad intended to establish a more equal, player-driven atmosphere following the 2020–21 home series defeat by India. Over a four-year span, the team underwent a significant transformation, according to fast Josh Hazlewood. “Compared to four years ago, when JL started, we definitely needed a different support staff and coach.”