Justin Langer on Australia's ball-tampering, being appointed as new head coach, and more
What's the story?
Australia's former opening batsman Justin Langer talked to the media after his appointment as the new head coach of the Australian Cricket Team. He spoke on several things, quite notably about the ball-tampering fiasco that shook the world of cricket earlier this year, as Australia toured South Africa for a four-match Test series.
The details
Langer said he couldn't believe how the team culture had got to a stage where its youngest and most inexperienced member - Cameron Bancroft - was made to face a position to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test in South Africa. He reminisced about his earliest Test-playing days while talking about it.
"When I first became an Australian cricketer, if Allan Border had asked me to tamper with the ball I would have because I would be too scared not too," Langer was quoted as saying. "The difference is that Allan Border would never have asked me, and Bobby Simpson (coach) would have killed me. He would have killed anyone who brought the game into disrepute."
"What I can't believe is that Cameron Bancroft just walked into the Australian cricket team and he was in a position where he himself made that decision. In terms of the culture and how it got to that point, I don't know, I am not close enough to say. But I will certainly find out. I will be walking into the cauldron soon and I'll find out." Langer succeeds Darren Lehmann who resigned as Australia's coach at the end of the tour of South Africa in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Previously, Langer was the head coach of the Sidney Scorchers in this year's edition of the Big Bash League.
In case you didn't know...
Lehmann had resigned from his position as coach, despite being cleared by a Cricket Australia inquiry of prior knowledge to tamper with the ball, a plot that was found to involve the captain Steven Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and opener Bancroft.
CA banned Smith and Warner for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine, and there were additional sanctions on holding leadership positions in Australian cricket as well. All three players accepted their punishments.
"They are really tough sanctions, but that said, they should be and the reason they should be is because we have said forever that we don't bend the rules, we don't cheat," Langer said. "[But] there's not one person who has not made a mistake."
What's next?
Langer's first assignment as full-time Australia coach will be the ODI series in England in July, after which they will tour Zimbabwe for a tri-series that includes Pakistan as the third nation apart from the Kangaroos and the hosts.
Author's take
It will certainly take a whole lot of cleansing from the side of Cricket Australia and the ICC in general, to put an end to incidents like this that tarnish the name and goodwill of the sport of cricket.
As Darren Lehmann has stepped down, it is upon Justin Langer now, to be the main man who will look upon to bring a reformation in the Australian side. Known for his explosive exploits at the top of the lineup with Matthew Hayden back in his playing days, Justin could certainly influence the current line of Australian cricketers, who are already reeling under the pressure of losing their biggest names - Smith and Warner to punishment bans following the shameful incident. As a busy cricketing season lies ahead of them, it is also important for Australia to rise up to the occasion, prior to the World Cup next year.