Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
Sport

The Justin Langer era is over. What is facing Australian cricket's next generation?

Australia will face upcoming fixtures with a new head coach. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

The Justin Langer era for Australia's men's cricket team is over, but we will not have to wait long to find out what the future looks like for the side.

The schedule over the coming weeks and months is intense, with some unique challenges facing the players and interim coach Andrew McDonald. 

Given Langer's reign ended with significant on-field success amid off-field acrimony, there will be pressure on the group to at least match the positive results immediately.

Here's what is coming next.

T20 series v Sri Lanka

First up, the Aussie T20 team has a hectic run of five games in 10 days against Sri Lanka, starting on Friday.

That gives Australia less than a week to recover from the loss of their head coach and prepare for games.

Langer led Australia to victory at the T20 World Cup in November, so there is expectation the team will pick up where they left off.

Australia has named an experienced squad for the series, with Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Aaron Finch, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood included.

Tour of Pakistan

For the first time in 24 years, an Australian Test team is preparing for a tour of Pakistan.

Australia played Tests at home against Pakistan in 2019. (AAP: David Mariuz )

The three-match Test series begins on March 4 and will be followed by a series of ODIs later in the month and into April.

The sense of unknown is also heightened by the fact this is the first overseas Test series Australia has played since the 2019 Ashes, with COVID keeping the side at home for the best part of three years.

What's more, Australia's men's team hasn't won a single Test series away from home since they beat New Zealand in 2016, two years before Langer took over.

It's going to be an emotional series for the home side, and an eye-opening tour for many members of the Australian team who haven't been a part of a trip to the subcontinent.

Australia will be tested on its historic tour of Pakistan. (AAP: David Mariuz)

Meanwhile, somewhat closer to home, an Australian T20I team will be playing three matches in New Zealand almost simultaneously with the Tests.

March is going to be a big month.

Tour of Sri Lanka

The dates and details are yet to be confirmed, but the plan is for Australia to play a Test series in Sri Lanka in the middle of this year.

The last time Australia travelled to that part of the world for long-form cricket was in 2016, when Australia was wiped 3-0 by the hosts.

Australia hasn't won in Sri Lanka since 2011. (AP: Rick Rycroft)

Australia hasn't won a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2011, which remains the last time Australia has claimed a series win on the subcontinent.

Going back to back with Pakistan over the course of a few months will be a huge challenge for Australia, and they will need to defy recent history to have success.

T20 World Cup in Australia

Just 12 months after lifting the trophy for the first time, Australia will defend the T20 World Cup on home soil in October and November of this year.

And because of that success last year, and the fact they will be playing host, there will be an outside expectation for the Aussies to win the tournament again.

Expectation will be high for Australia to back up its T20 World Cup success this year. (Getty Images: Alex Davidson)

Australia's T20I record over the years has been sketchy, which made the breakthrough triumph last year such a significant accomplishment.

But that will now serve only to raise the pressure on the team and whoever is coaching by that point, with failure unlikely to be brushed off.

And what about 2023?

After the home Test summer, currently slated to feature visits from the West Indies and South Africa, Australia is looking at an insanely big year.

A tour of India, an away Ashes series and a World Cup in India are all on the cards in a 2023 that will challenge every single player and coach associated with Australia's men's cricket team.

Cricket Australia has talked plenty about moving the team into the next generation. The next 18 months is going to put that generation to the test.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.