Justin Langer resigned from Australia head coaching role in February: "Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period of 12 years of coaching"; despite links with England coaching jobs, Langer said: "I've never spoken to English cricket"
Thursday 26 May 2022 10:58, UK
Justin Langer has claimed "bull**** politics" within Cricket Australia is the reason for his exit as head coach of the men's side earlier this year.
Following off the back of leading Australia to glory in the T20 World Cup and a 4-0 Ashes drubbing of England, Langer resigned in February, despite being offered a six-month contract extension.
Rumours had persisted for months prior to his departure that some senior players were unhappy with his style of coaching, but a number of Langer's former team-mates - including Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and the late Shane Warne - felt the 51-year-old was mistreated by Cricket Australia.
Speaking about his exit for the first time, at a chamber of commerce event in Perth, Langer criticised then-acting chairman of Cricket Australia, Richard Freudenstein.
"The first thing he [Freudenstein] said to me was, 'It must make you feel so good that all your mates are supporting you in the media'," Langer said.
"I said, 'Yeah it is, acting chairman, but with all due respect, those mates are also the all-time greats of Australian cricket. They are the fabric of Australian cricket. They are Australian cricket. They also work all around the world in cricket. So yeah, I'm glad my mates are looking after me. Imagine if you had have'."
Langer added: "Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period of 12 years of coaching.
"Not only did we win everything, but I had energy, and I had focus, and I was happy - besides the bull**** politics."
Cricket Australia admitted at the time of Langer's departure that there had been some "challenging, robust and direct" conversations around the "evolving" head coach role.
Andrew McDonald has since been appointed as his replacement, with New Zealand great Daniel Vettori among his assistant coaches.
Langer, meanwhile, was linked with the then-vacant England coaching jobs before they were taken by Brendon McCullum (Test cricket) and Matthew Mott (white-ball), but he said it was never on the cards to coach his great rivals.
"I've never spoken to English cricket," he said. "The thought of coaching England... mate!"
