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Justin Langer has hit “bull **** politics” within Cricket Australia by targeting Cricket Australia’s interim chairman Richard Freudenstein.
Langer stepped down as Australia’s coach in February after proposing to extend a humiliating six-month contract despite guiding the T20 World Cup and Ashes glory team.
A rumor rupture in the relationship between Langer and senior players led CA to push the 51-year-old out.
A host of Australia’s best Test players, including Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and the late Shane Warne, have condemned the CA for the way it treated Langer.
The frustration Langer felt over his treatment from CA was also evident on Wednesday when he recalled his conversation with Freudenstein the day after he resigned as Australia’s coach.
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘You must feel so good that all your peers are supporting you in the media,'” Langer said at the Perth Chamber of Commerce and Industry event.
(Photo by Darian Trainer – Getty Images via CA / Cricket Australia)
“I said, ‘Yes, acting chairman, but with due respect, those teammates are the best of all time in Australian cricket. They are the fabric of Australian cricket. They are Australian cricket. They work in cricket all over the world. So yes, I’m glad my peers are taking care of me. Imagine if you had ‘.
“The irony is that the last six months of my coaching career have been the happiest of 12 years of coaching.
“Not only did we win everything, I had the strength, and I had the focus, and I was happy – apart from bull ** politics.”
Australia have since hired Andrew MacDonald to replace Langer.
Following his resignation, Langer’s name was immediately added to the England coaching position.
Langer, whose pride and passion is famous for Australia, made it clear that he never considered the role.
“I’ve never talked about English cricket,” Langer said.
“The thought of coaching England (nodding enthusiastically) Comrade!”
Langer is not sure what his next move will be, but says staying in Western Australia with his family is his priority.
“I love WA. I love being home. I haven’t been home for 31 years,” he said.
Langer, a board member of AFL club West Coast, backed Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbet and coach Adam Simpson despite a disastrous 1-9 start to the year.
© AAP