Australian Test team led by Pat Cummins returned to field after a few months as the Test summer began Down Under. While the top Test team in the world will be gunning to seal a place in the final of World Test Championship (WTC), the off-field issues have taken some sheen off the two-match series against West Indies. This is the first time the two teams are facing each other in a Test series in 7 years but the lack of communication between the Australian players and the ex-head coach of the side Justin Langer has taken the centre stage.
However, there was no bad blood between Langer and any of the Australian players, including skipper Cummins as smiles, handshakes and hugs galore. Langer met the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cummins and Starc even poked fun at him as there seemed to be a good rapport between all of them.
Langer’s explosive podcast last week became a huge talk of the town in cricketing world, especially in Australia. Langer, who successful tenure as the head coach of the men’s team which included an Ashes win, a T20 World Cup win ended on a bitter note had said that everyone was nice to his face but talked what they had to behind his back while labelling them as cowards.
“Everyone was being nice to my face but I was reading about this stuff, and half of it … I could not believe that is what was making the papers.
“A lot of journalists use the word ‘source’. I would say, change that word to ‘coward’. A coward says, not a source,” he had said.
Cummins on the eve of the Test match responded to the statement saying there are no cowards in the Australian team while saying that it was disappointing to see off-field issues taking the attention.
“There’s no cowards in an Australian cricket team, not ever.
“I think it’s disappointing sometimes the focus gets drawn to off-field issues but it hasn’t really affected our team,” he added talking to the reporters.
Langer then clarified his stance saying that he didn’t target any particular player.
Australia dominated the first day of the Perth Test with Labuschagne scoring his 8th Test ton.
