CA Will Make The Game Look 'Stupid' If They Sack Justin Langer, Opines Ian Healy

Cricket Image for CA Will Make The Game Look 'Stupid' If They Sack Justin Langer, Opines Ian Healy (Image Source: IANS)

Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy has suggested Cricket Australia (CA) will look stupid if they sack head coach Justin Langer. Langer's contract as head coach runs till June but there have been doubts over him getting an extension despite Australia winning Men's T20 World Cup and the Ashes on home soil in the past few months.

"The coach is nowhere near as important as any major player� You can change the coach much easier than you can change a senior player. (However), the game is going to look stupid if they sack Justin Langer, but I don't think they'll sack him," said Healy on SEN's Pat and Heals show.

"They might manage him out by giving him two years and he wants more, he's probably informed them of what he wants. He might be playing that side, (saying) he wants four years, and they (Cricket Australia) are saying, 'You can't have four years, we'll give you two and now we've bumped it up to three, will you accept that?' There might be a stalemate on those fronts, but let's see what the reasons are," added Healy, who played 119 Tests and 168 ODIs for Australia.

Healy believes the senior players in the current Australia side will have to do a lot of explaining if a new coach is appointed. None of the current players in the Australia team have spoken publicly over Langer's future as the head coach.

"Gee, there's going to have to be some big explanations from Pat Cummins, from Aaron Finch, from Steve Smith, and these senior players who have voiced their feelings. I don't know which way (they voiced their feelings), but it seems like they're not on board, or they weren't, but from all reports, they got on board and they got winning again. So, cricket will look stupid (if Langer doesn't get renewed), the powerbrokers will look stupid that means."

Langer was appointed as the head coach of the Australia men's team in May 2018 after the Sandpaper Gate in Cape Town saw David Warner, Steve Smith (banned for a year) and Cameron Bancroft (banned for nine months) spend time away from the game, leaving the team and its image in a mess.

Langer will be on leave when Australia face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series starting from February 11. After the T20I series at home, Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan for a multi-format series after a gap of 24 years.