Lehmann: Australian cricket is going to be in such good hands

James Richardson

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has backed his successor Justin Langer to take the team on to big things.

Lehmann departed his role in tears earlier this year but still describes it as the best job in the world.

The former coach feels that the man who had acted as his stand-in on a couple occasions in the past will be someone who can improve the team that Lehmann has nurtured since taking over from Mickey Arthur.

Lehmann told Cricket.com.au: “Having watched JL’s press conference, I’m just so pleased that Australian cricket is going to be in such good hands.

“He’s got the best job in the world, and I know it’s a job that I’ll miss because I loved every minute of it.

“But this is a time that Australian cricket needs to move forward and they couldn’t have a better person to lead them now.”

The former boss is glad that Langer has chosen not to freeze out the trio banned by Cricket Australia for their role in the Newlands ball tampering fiasco.

Lehmann said: “He (Langer) has got a really good group of players and they’ll play in an exciting way, and I’m really looking forward to watching them do that.

“They’re a great bunch of blokes, all of them.

“I loved them and, and JL will love working with them.

“They all bring different attributes, but they are all such good professional athletes and as he’ll already know they’re so much fitter and stronger than any players from our era.

“They’ve got a great work ethic, they train bloody hard to get better and he’ll just need to keep teaching them the game of cricket, that’s the one area that all of us always need to improve on.

“We just have to get behind them as a nation, support the new coach and captains, but also support those guys that aren’t playing as well.

“I was really pleased that Justin made mention of those three guys (Smith, Warner and Bancroft) who aren’t playing at the moment because they are, and they’ll continue to be, valuable players for the future of Australian cricket.

“He didn’t close the door on anyone, and I think that’s an important message.”

Lehmann feels that the best way to keep the critics at bay is to win both home and away but highlighted that Langer should be focused on beating India in the 2018/19 season.

“He (Langer) spoke passionately about how he wants them to play, and he’s going to find the right balance that works best for that group,” Lehmann said.

“There’s no doubt that the toughest time in that job is when the team’s not winning.

“As he said in his media conference, winning away from home is the ambition for every team, but winning at home is also paramount.

“They are such a good group of players, I really think they can succeed against a strong, young Indian side this summer provided everyone here gets behind them.

“It’s going to be exciting to watch.

“And I’m looking forward to sitting back and watching it.”