What a delight this week to see Josh Hazlewood justifying Cricket Australia’s decision to appoint Pat Cummins as the national captain.
The “Cummins for captain” campaign had one major point of dissension: he was a fast bowler. The implication being that cricketers of such ilk are physically overtaxed and mentally incapable – false rationale that is repeatedly disproved, as Hazlewood demonstrated while winning the second one-day international against England.
The delight for Hazlewood was that he only had the reins for a single “fill-in” game; he doesn’t have to concern himself with the multitude of press conferences, match referee meetings, team talks, selection conferences, nor bear the brunt of historical whinging from a former coach.
At the risk of pumping the bellows on this one, Pat Cummins said in February that Justin Langer was “welcome in the Australian dressing room at any time”. So, no hard feelings there from Cummins and a pointer to a clear conscience and actions of integrity. That statement was made when Langer refused a contract extension.
The responsibility to terminate his coaching duties was his alone, as he was offered a short-term deal by CA.
When Langer said in a podcast this week that “cowards” had leaked damaging accusations against him during his tenure as national coach, the clear implication was that he was talking about the players, although he has tried to walk that back in recent days. To the extent that he was calling into question the actions of the players, Langer has done a disservice to whatever remained of his reputation. He has also done Australian cricket a disservice.
Justin Langer continues to backpedal after making “coward” claims on a recent podcast.Credit:The Age
CA chief executive officer Nick Hockley has responded with appropriate corrections. It would also be nice now to hear from the CA chairman from Western Australia, Lachlan Henderson, with a message along the same lines so this divisive spray can be put to bed and tucked in.
The players have zipped their lips and shown respect for the team and the game. They are certainly keen to move on and face their cricket horizons rather than be distracted by staring into the rear-view mirror.
Captains Cummins and Aaron Finch are emphatic and intelligent men; both have reputations for playing the game with integrity and leading with servility, and that has strengthened so far during their tenures.
The news that CA is happy for players not to talk to Langer in his new gig as a Channel Seven commentator is somewhat fanciful, though. It is a masterstroke from Seven, obviously encouraged by a Langer supporter to supply a soapbox. No doubt that viewers would be excited by the Australian fast bowlers taking on the debate and questions from the ex-coach, who, if you recall, was slated for trying to set their fields from the sheds every over during last year’s Ashes series. It would make unmissable television and I hope to see those match-ups.
Justin Langer during his days as Australia coach.Credit:Getty
Channel Seven will be looking for any ratings boost as it continues its quest through the courts for a discount on its rights deal with CA.
Meanwhile, with the Langer saga dragging on and on, the Test series against the West Indies begins on Wednesday. The three-game ODI series against England, sandwiched in between the T20 World Cup and the first Test, will, henceforth, be the definitive meaningless series. The term has been run ragged in recent years in world cricket, but this one now gets its own Wikipedia entry.
Granted, Australia played some attractive, confident and winning cricket under the two leaders, but England’s level of motivation after the adrenaline-sucking World Cup campaign was questionable.
The Australian Test players missed the chance of Sheffield Shield or PM’s XI competition as they performed in front of scant houses. Perhaps the fans had spent their hard-earned on tickets to the T20 and are saving up for the Test summer. That would seem like a suitably frugal approach given the Reserve Bank’s incessant rate hikes.
Perhaps they’ve had enough of 50-over cricket, especially coming so quickly on the back of a fascinating multinational 20-over tournament?
The Windies may feel lucky that their premature ejection from the T20 World Cup has allowed them an unstudied build-up to the first Test. They looked competitive against the PM’s XI with some decent quicks and another Chanderpaul willing to occupy the crease for weeks. Nothing was meaningless for them at Manuka Oval against the pink ball and some Australians looking to impress national selectors.
It was nice to watch the pace of four-day cricket with biff and bash conceding to nous and discipline, and the thought of Test cricket will return meaning to life.
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