Langer appointed Australia coach

AUSTRALIA (Agencies): West Australian (WA) mentor and Test great Justin Langer unveiled as men’s national team head coach in all three formats.

As per media reports, More than a decade after he walked away from Test cricket and a year before he was expected to step into the role of national coach, Justin Langer will formally replace Darren Lehmann at the helm of a bruised Australia men’s team. Langer, 47, had been earmarked as Lehmann’s successor when the former coach foreshadowed his tenure would end at the cessation of next year’s dual World Cup/Ashes assignment in the UK.

But the former Test opener, who will oversee the rebirth and rebranding of the national men’s outfit in all three international formats, was fast-tracked into the role following the fall-out from the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa six weeks ago. Langer, who will also sit on the player review panel chaired by Rick McCosker, the details of which were announced earlier this week, was considered most likely to take over after Lehmann announced at an emotional media conference in Johannesburg last month that he would resign as a result of the Cape Town incident, in which sandpaper was used on-field in an attempt to alter the condition of the ball.

Other names that were mentioned as a possible replacement for Lehmann, who rose to the role in 2013 when Mickey Arthur was sacked, were Langer’s ex-teammate (now coach of Sussex in the UK county competition) Jason Gillespie and incumbent assistant coach Dav. Langer had previously been linked to the vacant England coaching position before another Australian, ex-New South Wales batter Trevor Bayliss, was appointed in 2015. His four-year contract will take in two Ashes Series, a World Cup and World T20 tournament. Prior to today’s announcement, it was speculated that Ponting might be installed as specialist coach for Australia’s T20 team.