Justin Langer, the former Australian opener and current head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants, is eyeing the head coach role for the Indian cricket team. This opportunity comes as Rahul Dravid’s tenure concludes post the T20 World Cup. The BCCI began accepting applications for this prestigious position on Monday evening.
Langer expressed his interest in the role when asked by TOI, saying, “Well, I am curious.”
“I’ve never ever thought about it. I have deep respect for any international coach because I understand the pressure, but coaching the Indian team would be an extraordinary role. From what I’ve seen with the amount of talent I’ve seen in this country, it would be fascinating,” he added.
Previously, BCCI secretary Jay Shah emphasized that Rahul Dravid would need to reapply and undergo the standard selection process if he wished to continue as head coach of the Indian team.
However, it seems unlikely as Dravid was not keen on extending his tenure after his contract ended following the ODI World Cup last year. Given the impending T20 World Cup within seven to eight months, Dravid and his entire support staff were granted an extension.
Shah also hinted at the possibility of appointing a foreign coach. The most recent foreign coach in Indian cricket was Duncan Fletcher. Following his departure in 2014, India has had three successive full-time head coaches, all distinguished former Indian cricketers: Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri, and Rahul Dravid.
Langer emerges as a strong
It will be interesting to see if they opt for an international coach after more than a decade. If the Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik, and Jatin Paranjape, decides to explore this option, then Langer could emerge as the leading candidate.
Langer has had an illustrious career with 105 Tests, accumulating 7696 runs at an average of 45. Additionally, he has successfully coached the Australian team for nearly four years, playing a pivotal role in the revival of Australian cricket post the Sandpapergate scandal in 2018.
Under his leadership, Australia also clinched their maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2021. Langer’s coaching experience extends to guiding LSG, an IPL franchise.
In his debut season as head coach of an IPL team, Langer’s performance has been mixed. While LSG remains in contention for playoff qualification, questions have been raised regarding the team’s strategy.
“When you’re a player, you have control. You take absolute responsibility for your performance. The only thing that’s out of your control is selection, or what the media writes or what people think of you.”
“You focus only on watching the ball. If you make runs, the only currency of value is runs. And If you make runs, you get selected. If you get selected, you get a contract,” Langer said about his debut season as LSG’s head coach.
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