Justin Langer’s Test debut as a player came in one of the most memorable games played in Australia. His first as a coach was in the great escape in Dubai 2018.
He made a much lower-key start to his life as a commentator – and that’s how Seven want it.
Those expecting Langer to use the microphone to square up perceived wrongs from his acrimonious exit as coach had better think again.
Justin Langer speaks with Steve Smith before play of day one of the Perth Test.Credit:Getty Images
Langer was eager to put to bed talk of a rift between him and his former charges, using his media role to point the finger at the media for suggesting the two parties were at odds after comments he made in the media.
The intergenerational divide that emerged during Australia’s failed T20 World Cup campaign, and Langer’s claims there were “cowards” who leaked against him, have brought to a head a matter that has festered for the best part of a year.
But there were public hugs and handshakes between Langer and the players, including captain Pat Cummins, in Perth before play on Wednesday.
As disappointed as some members of the team have been with Langer’s behaviour and that of several of his teammates from the golden generation, they have heeded advice not to fan the flames by engaging in a public slanging match and are keen to move on. Cummins was firm but respectful in the defence of his dressing room on Tuesday.
Langer played his part in making sure his first interaction with his former players, many of whom he has not seen since his departure, would not fuel more negative press.
“Perception and reality,” Langer said in his opening segment on Seven in the middle of Optus Stadium, where he has a stand named after him, flanked by former captain Ricky Ponting and his close friend Matthew Hayden.
“Perception often sells newspapers. The reality is, these are like my little brothers. I love Australian cricket and I love being back and seeing the boys. I haven’t seen them for nine months.”
He backed it up during the game in the commentary box, fondly remembering his four years at the helm.
“We celebrated together, we come back from sandpaper-gate together, we came back through COVID together, we won the World Cup. We won the Ashes together,” Langer said.
“I’ve got great relationships with every one of these guys. There was lot of build-up to it. It is exactly how I was expecting it to be today.”
Though many media outlets want their star signings to be controversial and outspoken, this is not the case with Seven, who, through Ponting’s erudite and insightful commentary, have become the discerning cricket fan’s choice of broadcaster.
The network wants to capitalise on Langer’s intel as a recent member of the inner sanctum, though he was not used for the lunchtime chat with his successor Andrew McDonald.
The early signs are promising. Using his up-to-date knowledge, Langer touched on the “psychology of batting” to explain how Windies quick Alzarri Joseph could use the bumper with great effect to Marnus Labuschagne as Mark Wood did last summer.
His observation about Usman Khawaja and Labuschagne’s contrasting personalities would have informed the casual observer, so too his quip that Labuschagne would change his technique to follow Steve Smith’s example.
His anecdote about Cameron Green using his father to lob him slow half-volleys to recalibrate his game for Test cricket gave an insight to the young all-rounder’s maturity beyond his 23 years, but he left viewers hanging with how Khawaja had transformed his game against spin.
It may not be in the role he would prefer, but Langer still has something to offer Australian cricket.
