REVEALED: Justin Langer’s new coaching job after the former Australian mentor vowed he would never coach again after acrimonious split
- Lucrative offer makes him change his mind
- He will meet some Australian players.
- He still believes that his best years as a manager are yet to come.
Controversial former Australian cricket manager Justin Langer has gone back on a word he made a year ago to return to coaching and signed with Indian Premier League side Lucknow Super Giants.
Langer, 52, will take over coaching and replaces former England manager Andy Flower at the helm of the IPL franchise.
The former Australian opener stepped down from his Australian role last year, just months after coaching Australia to T20 World Cup and Ashes glory.
Losing the locker room was considered the main reason after repeated outbursts of anger.
Langer parted ways with Cricket Australia (CA) after being offered a small contract to remain in charge only until the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Former Australian cricket coach and former Australian opening batsman Justin Langer (pictured) once told coaches ‘never again’, but Indian rupees have had a change of heart.
At the time, he wanted a long-term contract which he believed he deserved following an Ashes series win, a drawn series in England and a Twenty20 World Cup.
When he turned down CA’s relatively insulting offer, his emotions at the time led him to say that he would never coach again.
But, it really does seem like time heals all wounds as she is now packing her bags and heading to India.
At the time of the bad offer from CA, Langer was interviewed and said: ‘I don’t think I’ll coach again. No, I don’t think I’ll train again,” he repeated on the Cricket Etc podcast with Australian cricket writers Peter Lalor and Gideon Haigh.
“The madness is, and it is really strange in cricket, if you think about a lot of the other codes, the best managers are much older. It doesn’t make sense in cricket.
“I’m saying I’m not going to coach again, but I think I’m 10 years away from being the best coach I can be.”
Well, he’s not 10 years away from those comments, but he’s getting another chance.
To keep himself busy during his time away from Australia’s helm, the plucky former Western Australian opening batsman continued to be involved in cricket through the media, including color commentary for Channel Seven.
Australian striker Marcus Stoinis is a star attraction for Lucknow and Langer will meet him
England fast Mark Wood in action for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL earlier this year
In India he will meet the versatile Australian Marcus Stoinis, one of Lucknow’s star players.
‘Lucknow Super Giants is on the way to build a great history in the IPL. We all have a role to play on that journey and I am excited to be a part of the team moving forward,” Langer said.
Lucknow is a new team in the IPL and the team has surprised many by reaching the playoffs in their first two seasons.
In the Lucknow 2023 line-up was England speed demon Mark Wood, who was sidelined in the first two Ashes Tests but won Man of the Match honors for his spectacular 5-34 run over the first innings. in the third Test at Leeds.
