Justin Langer has broken his silence on his explosive departure as head coach of Australia and the rumours of him joining England.
Langer, 51, is cemented as a great of Australian cricket, having scored more than 7,600 runs as Test match opener for the Baggy Greens. That included 23 centuries, and he bowed out of the international arena in style in 2007 having played in his country's 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
In 2018, he then took over the role of Australia's head coach, following the ball tampering scandal that rocked world cricket. It led to the departure of the disgraced Darren Lehmann, and lengthy playing suspensions for captain Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.
In the three-and-a-half-years that followed, Langer was largely credited for changing the culture that had previously plagued The Baggy Greens. His reign also brought success, retaining the Ashes in England in 2019 before retaining them with an emphatic 4-0 series home win last winter.
In November, he also led Australia to their first ever T20 World Cup win, beating New Zealand in the final in Dubai. However, in February, he curiously declined the offer of a 12-month extension, and resigned amid rumours of player discontent.
It led to a host of former players hitting out at the decision, including the late Shane Warne. And now the iconic left-hander himself has opened up about his acrimonious departure.
"Ironically, the last six months of my coaching career were the most enjoyable period of 12 years," he said, according to Cricket Australia's website. "Not only did we win everything, but I had energy, and I had focus, and I was happy - besides the politics."
Just days after confirming his exit, Langer then had a fiery meeting with the then-acting chairman of Cricket Australia, Richard Freudenstein: "The first thing he said to me was, 'It must make you feel so good that all your mates are supporting you in the media'," he continued.
"I said, 'Yeah it is, acting chairman, but with all due respect, those mates are also the all-time greats of Australian cricket. They are the fabric of Australian cricket. They are Australian cricket. They also work all around the world in cricket. So yeah, I'm glad my mates are looking after me. Imagine if you had have'."
Langer was speaking to the media at a chamber of commerce event in Perth. He was also challenged on the intense speculation linking him to the England role following the sacking of Chris Silverwood.
Those rumours were dispelled this month when Brendan McCullum was appointed ahead of this summer's Test series with New Zealand. However, Langer emphatically denied he ever intended to link up with his long-time rivals.
"I've never spoken to English cricket," he said. "The thought of coaching England, mate!" Australia have since appointed Andrew McDonald as Langer's replacement, with Daniel Vettori and Andre Borovec joining Michael Di Venuto as his assistant coaches
