Reports: England Cricket Board to break the bank to hire Justin Langer in coaching role

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might shell out an eyebrow-raising sum of money to hire Justin Langer, who recently stepped down from the job of Australia’s head coach. He was offered the short-term extension until the T20 World Cup this year, which he declined. A lot of his teammates had supported the cause of extending his tenure.

However, Langer’s decline of offer meant that former players including the likes of Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist criticised Cricket Australia (CA) and Test skipper Pat Cummins. Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson event went on to say that Cummins has failed his biggest test as captain. According to Johnson, Cummins didn’t campaign aggressively enough for Langer’s extension.

Under his coaching, the team managed to play the semifinals of the 2019 World Cup. Then, they went to become the first Team after the Steve Waugh-led 2001 to retain an Ashes series in England. The Aussies also won the home series against Pakistan and New Zealand an recently thrashed England in the Ashes after winning the T20 World Cup 2021. The 105-Test veteran might be in for the race of next England head coach after Chris Silverwood’s sacking.

The ECB chief executive Tom Harrison recently has admitted the board will look for the best candidate while looking into the financial constraints “We have to make the right decisions around coaching budgets. Clearly, you are coaching England. We need the best coaches available to do that,” said Harrison as quoted by inews.co.uk.

Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting had their say on Langer’s fiasco

Former Australia opening batter Matthew Hayden and former skipper Ricky Ponting have had their say on Langer’s exit. Hayden has suggested that ECB must sign Langer, given his four-year tenure while Ponting said that this was a strange time for a coach to depart.

“Sign him up. If he can turn Cricket Australia around in four years, imagine what he could do with England. God help us,” said Hayden

“It seems like a very strange time for a coach to be departing. I actually think it’s a really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned,” said Ponting.