Ian Chappell hits out at Justin Langer’s “PR machine” and defends Pat Cummins

Ian Chappell has defended Australia Test captain Pat Cummins, following Justin Langer’s decision to resign as head coach amid a wave of controversy

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Ian Chappell has slammed the ” Justin Langer PR machine” in the wake of his decision to quit as Australia head coach.

Langer stood down from his role on Saturday, rejecting a short-term contract extension and citing a lack of support from senior players, support staff and the board as the reason behind his decision.

Since news of his resignation broke, Langer has been publicly backed by several former teammates including Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.

A number of those ex-players have criticised the current Australia stars for not to publicly backing Langer as coach, with current Test captain Pat Cummins bearing the brunt of the criticism.

Mitchell Johnson in particular launched a scathing attack on Cummins, calling him ‘gutless’ for failing to ‘endorse an extension for Langer’.

Chappell, however, has defended Cummins, insisting the captain has ‘been as honest as you can be in this sort of thing’.

Speaking to Wide World of Sports, Chappell said: “It’s easy to lambast Cricket Australia, because they are not very good, and it was only to be expected, their reaction.

“But what annoys me is two things – the fact Pat Cummins, who has probably been as honest as you can be in this sort of thing, that he’s copped a bit of a pasting… and the Justin Langer PR machine has been at work, and in a lot of cases that’s been believed.

“They [former players] are going to do what they’re going to do, that is entirely up to them.”

Chappell also believes that Cummins deserves to have a say in who coaches the Test team, adding: “Within reason I think the captain has got to get the coach that he gets on with, and works well with.

“I just don’t understand why a captain isn’t going to have any input into the coach. Why, for instance, do you appoint a new captain and then he’s got to have the previous coach? He doesn’t get any say in it, well that’s bollocks in my opinion.

“Pat Cummins will know a lot more about cricket than the [administrators] at Cricket Australia on the board. Pat Cummins would know more about cricket than most.”