"I love Justin Langer, and I love what he brings to the team" - Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne has come in defence of Justin Langer after reports emerged about the Australian players not liking the latter's headmaster-like coaching style. It was also claimed that Langer had stopped Labuschagne from carrying a toasted sandwich in his pocket onto the field against India, an incident which didn't go down well with some Aussie cricketers.
However, Marnus Labuschagne recently addressed the situation, saying he loves Justin Langer and that there is no animosity between them. The right-handed batsman indicated that things have been blown out of proportion, following Australia's series loss to India. Speaking on the matter, Labuschagne said:
"I love JL, and I love what he brings to the team. There’s always more pressure when you’re not winning games. We’ve got to make sure that we’re really focused when we come back as a squad and make sure we stay really close to each other as a group and as a coaching staff. We need to keep supporting each other and backing each other."
Marnus Labuschagne finished the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the top run-scorer, amassing 426 runs at an average of 53.25. The 26-year-old scored one century and two half-centuries in eight innings. However, his efforts turned out to be futile as India won the Test series by a 2-1 margin.
Langer's response to Marnus Labuschagne's sandwich incident
Justin Langer recently talked about the growing narrative of a dressing room divide in the Australian camp and said he still has a lot to learn. Regarding the sandwich incident, the Aussie coach said:
"I’m the grumpiest p**ck in the world because I told Marnus Labuschagne not to take a toasted ham and cheese sandwich (to the dugout) after his 40-minute lunch break.”
Australia were set to tour South Africa for a three-match Test series. But it was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation in the Rainbow Nation. The Aussies are scheduled to play England in the Ashes later this year.