Cummins believes Langer apology unnecessary, defends Australia team-mates

Former
opener
Langer
guided
his
country
to
T20
World
Cup
success
last
November
before
overseeing
a
4-0
Ashes
thrashing
of
England
across
December
and
January.

However,
the
51-year-old
rejected
a
short-term
extension
on
his
contract,
which
was
due
to
expire
in
June,
and
resigned
as
head
coach
of
Australia
last
week.

Mitchell
Johnson,
Usman
Khawaja
and
Shane
Warne
headed
a
host
of
names
in
Australian
cricket
to
question
the
treatment
of
Langer,
who
has
recently
been
linked
with
the
vacant
England
head
coach
role.

But
Cummins
responded
by
emphasising
his
defence
of
his
team-mates
and
Cricket
Australia
on
Wednesday
as
he
addressed
the
matter
for
the
first
time
with
a
statement
and
later
at
a
news
conference.

The
fast
bowler
wrote:
“Justin
has
acknowledged
that
his
style
was
intense.
And
it
was.
He
has
apologised
to
players
and
staff
for
his
intensity.

“I
think
the
apology
was
unnecessary
because
the
players
were
okay
with
JL’s
intensity.
It
came
from
a
good
place
–
his
fierce
love
of
Australia
and
the
baggy
green
–
something
which
has
served
Australian
cricket
well
for
three
decades.

“I
take
this
responsibility
seriously.
I
live
and
breathe
it.
We
also
have
a
duty
to
our
mates.
Many
former
players
have
reached
out
to
me
and
silently
offered
me
their
advice,
which
is
welcome.

“Some
others
have
spoken
in
the
media
–
which
is
also
welcome
and
comes
from
a
love
of
the
game
and
their
support
of
a
mate.

“To
all
past
players,
I
want
to
say
this:
Just
as
you
have
always
stuck
up
for
your
mates,
I’m
sticking
up
for
mine.”

Listen
to
Australia
men’s
captain
Pat
Cummins’ full
press
conference
after
the
resignation
of
coach
Justin
Langer.

—
cricket.com.au
(@cricketcomau)

February
9,
2022

Cummins,
who
also
explained
it
would
not
have
been
right
for
him
to
make
“public
comment” on
the
topic
earlier,
praised
Langer’s
efforts,
though
he
is
now
looking
forward
to
a
new
era
of
Australian
cricket.

“I
think
this
group
looking
forward,
a
few
things
through
the
review
process
we
really
wanted
and
found
important
to
get
the
best
out
of
our
players
is
I
think
the
players
benefit
from
a
more
collaborative
approach,”
Cummins
told
reporters.

“A
big
theme
this
summer
was
to
be
more
calm,
more
composed.
That’s
been
the
feedback
from
the
players,
staff
and
Cricket
Australia
that
that’s
the
direction
we
want
to
take
the
team.

“I
think
he
tweaked
and
changed
quite
a
bit.
He
deserves
a
lot
of
credit
for
that.
I
think
the
question
then
became
do
we
think
that
it’s
sustainable.
We
thought
it
is
the
right
time
to
make
a
change.

“I
think
some
of
these
skill
sets
are
perhaps
a
little
bit
different
to
perhaps
his
traditional
coaching
style.

“I
think
he
tweaked
his
coaching
style
in
the
last
six
months
and
did
a
really
good
job,
but
we
think
now
is
the
right
time
for
a
different
direction.
It’s
a
matter
of
opinion
but
we
think
it’s
the
right
one.”

Andrew
McDonald
has
been
promoted
from
assistant
coach
in
the
interim
and
is
expected
to
lead
Australia
when
they
tour
Pakistan
in
March.