Cummins reveals why players wanted coaching change

Australia's leading male players want a calmer and more collaborative coach of the national teams, according to Test captain Pat Cummins, who insisted feedback along those lines had been provided to Justin Langer for two years.

In a lengthy press conference at Sydney's Olympic Park almost entirely dedicated to the messy and polarising exit of Langer, Cummins said the former coach had been "the perfect man for the times" and professed his deep respect for the Australian cricket great.

"We've been really well-schooled by ‘JL’ (Langer) over the last four years in how to conduct ourselves," Cummins said of the man who took over in the wake of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

Yet Cummins, who had previously refrained from commenting on Langer’s position amid the recent storm over his future, revealed players and some support staff told Cricket Australia as part of a consultation process that the national teams required a new type of coach.

"This group, looking forward, there’s a few things that I think through a review process we really wanted, and felt was important to get the best out of our players," he told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the five-match Dettol T20I series against Sri Lanka.

"I think the players will benefit from a more collaborative approach.

"A big theme for this summer has been being more calm, more composed.

"That’s been really clear in the feedback from players, support staff and Cricket Australia. That’s the direction we want to take the team.

"There were so many positives to what JL has brought to the table. He was the perfect man for the times, he did a fantastic job – I absolutely loved working with him, thought he was brilliant.

"Some of these skillsets (desired by players) are a little bit different to perhaps his traditional coaching style. I think he’s tweaked his coaching style the last six months, and did a really, really good job.

"But we think now is the right time for a different direction. It’s a matter of opinion but we think it’s the right one."

Cummins had prefaced his comments by effectively saying he wanted to set the record straight after statements from CA chief executive Nick Hockley and Langer, who published his letter of resignation which detailed why he knocked back a six-month contract extension.

That came amid a flaming cocktail of furious former Australian players lining up to defend Langer, with the most pointed criticism coming from ex-Test quick Mitchell Johnson who labelled Cummins, with whom he won a World Cup in 2015, as "gutless" for his role in the affair.

Cummins today brushed off Johnson’s criticism but noted he has not spoken to his former teammate immediately before or since his column was published in the West Australian newspaper.

In Langer's resignation letter posted to his LinkedIn page, the former Test opener wrote "several senior players and a couple of support staff don't support me moving forward".

Cummins effectively confirmed that was the case but suggested this should not have come as a surprise to Langer.

"Being in a public role is always going to come with some commentary and scrutiny around the (review) process," he said. "I know Cricket Australia wanted to give it due process and let it run its course.

"If JL felt like, at the end of it, that he hasn't been fairly treated, then that's not on and I hope we can learn from that.

"I'd say that I don't think he should be surprised though.

"It's been two years of evaluations.

"In our environment at Cricket Australia, we get 360-reviewed all the time. We get our strengths and weaknesses poked and prodded. It's become more public in the last week or two but I don't think there's any big surprises."

The "intense" coaching style Langer has since apologised for came in for scrutiny following the 2020-21 Test series defeat to India and then again after T20 campaigns in the Caribbean and Bangladesh last year.

His methods were the subject of meetings between Langer, Hockley, then-Test captain Tim Paine, white-ball skipper Aaron Finch and then vice-captain Cummins, while a leadership review process involving consultant Tim Ford was held on the Gold Coast before the white-ball squads flew to St Lucia in June last year.

Players have acknowledged Langer markedly changed upon return from the Windies and Bangladesh, with T20 World Cup and Ashes victories capping a four-year tenure even Langer’s fiercest critics would concede has been a success.

"I think he tweaked and changed a lot and was brilliant since then. I really do," Cummins added. "He made some big changes and deserved a lot of credit for that.

"I guess the question after the success of the last couple of months became do we think it’s sustainable? And again it’s probably a matter of opinion, but we thought it was the right time to make a change.

"… The feedback has been (given) for the last two years.

"It's a difference of opinions and if you can't resolve those differences of opinions, you need change. That's happened. Either way the team is incredibly united."

Dettol T20 Series v Sri Lanka 2022

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head*, Moises Henriques, Josh Inglis, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

*unavailable for first three matches

Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Ramesh Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Shiran Fernando

February 11: First T20, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

February 13: Second T20, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

February 15: Third T20, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm AEDT

February 18: Fourth T20, MCG, 7.10pm AEDT

February 20: Fifth T20, MCG, 7.10pm AEDT

All matches broadcast exclusively on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports. Radio coverage by ABC Grandstand