Langer ushers in new era of unity in Australian cricket

Justin Langer was on Thursday named the new head coach of the Australia cricket team. The 47-year-old replaced Darren Lehmann who resigned in the wake of the ball tampering scandal during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in April. 

Justin Langer says he wants a sense of mateship to unite the Australia cricket teams. Reuters/Luis Ascui

The former Test opening batsman will coach Australia in all three formats of the game - Tests, one day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20, Cricket Australia announced.

He will begin his new role on 22 May and lead the sides in two Ashes series against England, a World Cup and World T20 tournament.

"It is humbling to be appointed as coach of the Australian men's cricket team," Langer said. "I am very excited about the scope I now have to coach the country that supported me so much in my cricketing career.

"There will be some significant challenges ahead for our group, but there is a wealth of talent in Australian cricket that I know will do us all proud."

He said he would encourage an ethos of camaraderie. "Mateship is very important and elite mateship is going to be a key value. I've said for years that if you have that camaraderie, it's the glue that keeps everything together particularly when you are under pressure."

Langer will take over a Test team with Tim Paine as skipper. He was appointed after former captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were suspended from Test cricket for a year for their roles in the ball-tampering plot in South Africa. Batsman Cameron Bancroft was banned for nine months for his part in the shenanigans.

Langer added: "I would say that without being in it in South Africa that that sense of camaraderie wasn't as tight as it needed to be because when we were under pressure the glue kind of separated a bit and I don't like seeing that in a cricket team. I like them to be tight."

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland said Langer was the clear standout choice. "We firmly believe Justin is the right person to lead this team and have huge confidence in what he will bring to the role," he added.

Langer represented Australia in 105 Test matches and eight ODI matches between January 1993 and January 2007.

He scored more than 7,500 Test runs - including 23 centuries - and was an integral member of the Australian men's team during one of its most successful eras. His playing career spanned almost 20 years, in which he played 360 first-class matches and scored more than 28,000 first class runs.