Ricky Ponting brands Justin Langer’s departure “a sad day” for Australian cricket

The former Australia captain has lamented the decision-making process which led to the departure of Justin Langer as Australia men’s head coach

Ricky Ponting has led the criticism of the circumstances around Justin Langer's resignation as Australia head coach.

Langer's tenure of close to four years came to an end after he rejected a new six-month extension to his contract, which was due to expire in June.

He had recently led the men's team to a maiden T20 World Cup triumph and a 4-0 Ashes series win over England - but there were reports players were unhappy with his management style.

“I actually think it’s a really sad day as far as Australian cricket’s concerned,” Ponting told ABC Radio.

He added: “He was very keen on the role, as he should’ve been, on the back of what’s been the best coaching period of his international career, having just won a T20 World Cup and then the 4-0 result in the Ashes.

“It seems like a very strange time for a coach to be departing.

“As he [Langer] will say to me, a very small group of the playing group haven’t entirely loved the way he’s gone about it.”

“It’s been enough to push him out of his dream job.”

^{Langer and Ponting were both part of the all-conquering Australia Test team during the latter's spell as captain (Hamish Blair/Getty Images)}

The 51-year-old succeeded Darren Lehmann as coach in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 and made rebuilding the team's public image one of his main priorities.

“That’s been enough to force a man that’s put his life and heart and soul into Australian cricket and done, I believe, a sensational job in turning around the culture and the way that the Australian team has been looked over the last three or four years," Ponting lamented.

Ponting led Australia in 77 Tests, 229 one-day internationals and 17 T20Is during one of the most successful periods in Australia's history, before his retirement in 2012. He has intermittently held coaching roles with Australia but now heads up IPL side Delhi Capitals.

He believes a shift towards player-power and the wider influence on cricket boards across the world has eventually led to Langer's exit.

“Never in my time as a player did we, as a group, influence what a board was thinking," he explained.

“It seems this time that the players and some personnel around the group might have influenced Cricket Australia.

“I’ve felt that it was heading that way for a while, even looking back to the T20 World Cup win, there was a lot of speculation if Justin should carry on then.“

“He’s led them to a success that they’ve never had before, but it’s still got to a point where it was impossible for him to continue on in the role.”

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