(Photo: Getty Images)
By Adam Ellis
Australia have found their successor to Darren Lehmann by appointing Justin Langer as head coach across all three formats.
Langer has signed a four-year deal to take control of a national set-up still addressing issues in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that led to Lehmann’s resignation and teary-eyed apologies from suspended trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
After almost six years at the helm of Western Australia and Big Bash side Perth Scorchers, the veteran of 105 Tests for Australia said the opportunity to coach his country filled him with excitement.
“It is humbling to be appointed as coach of the Australian men’s cricket team,” Langer said.
“I am very excited about the scope I now have to coach the country that supported me so much in my cricketing career.
“There will be some significant challenges ahead for our group, but there is a wealth of talent in Australian cricket that I know will do us all proud.”
Langer’s deal will see him through two Ashes series, a World Cup, and one T20 World Cup, and Cricket Australia‘s chief executive James Sutherland didn’t shirk his belief that success was just around the corner for the reigning World Cup champions.
“We firmly believe Justin is the right person to lead this team and have huge confidence in what he will bring to the role,” Sutherland said.
“Justin’s work ethic, leadership and values are among his strongest attributes and he is widely respected across the global cricket community.”
Cricket Australia announced on Tuesday that ethics specialists will conduct a review into the culture of the nation’s cricket at the elite level, as a result of the ball-tampering scandal which marred the four-match Test series in South Africa earlier this year.
As Langer asserts his own stamp on the national side, his first major test as coach will come against the No 1 ranked ODI nation England in a five-match series in June.
