Sunday Times () Sunday 29/09/2019 Page: 18 Section: General News Region: Perth, AU Circulation: 168008 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 1,714.00 sq.cms. press clip

JUSTIN LANGER SAYS TOUR WAS NOT ABOUT WINNING FIGHTING FOR THE BAGGY GREEN TRADITION

JOE SPAGNOLO

spending a gruelling five ture came up a lot when I took WINNING back respect for months away from his family, over the role,” Langer told The the embattled Australian Langer said Australians’ new- Sunday Times this week. side has mattered found respect for their cricket “What I am most proud more than success, according side had been the most pleas- about over the last 12 or 18 to their coach . ing and important achieve- months is that we set out to Fresh from retaining the ment of his 17 months so far in make Australians proud of us Ashes on English soil, and the job. again. back home in Perth after “No doubt that word cul- “I said at the time (of tak-

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ing on the role) that you there was booing for him and describedescribe Steve SmitSmithh in couldn’t just flick a switch and Dave Warner. The level of one word it would be ‘hunger’. our culture would be better. abuse those guys copped. It He hhasas an iinsatiablensatiable hungerhunger “I said that we had to make (abuse) must have had some forfor .” sure that our behaviour on effect on them — they are EEqually,qually, Smith was aass and off the field had to be human beings. courageouscourageous as he was good so that we could make “Grown men and grown brilliant,brilliant, LanLangerger saisaid.d. Australians proud of us again. women. We’d be getting on CominComingg backback to scorescore “And what has made me the bus and they’d be sing- a double after most proud is the number of ing songs and shouting at being felledfelled by England people that have said to me in them and abusing them. sspeedsterpeedster JoJofrafra Archer emails or letters or at Fre- “I’ve neverver seen anyany-- was testimony to ththee mantle Markets or in the thing like it. At the end ofof it, man’sman’s greatness.greatness. shopping centre or at a cafe even the EEnglishnglish crowd petrol station ‘well done, we had softened,ed, which telltellss “There are a lot of scars are so proud of the Australian me they (Smithmith anandd ttherehere wwithith Australian cricket, cricket team’. Warner) had wwithith wwhathat happened to Phil “After the World Cup and earned their respect.espect. HuHughes,”ghes,” LLanger reflected. Ashes so many people have “One of thee greagreatt “It was a terrible blow (to said ‘we love watching the things aboutt ththee SmithSmith)) bubutt the way he came Australian cricket team again. game is thatt yoyouu bbackack was aamazing. You and the team have have the opportuni-rtuni- “For him,him the thought of ty to earn respect.ect. not pplayinglayin because he had brought Australian cricket “And Steveteve been hit ddidn’ti even enter his back to life’. Smith and DDaveave minmind.”d.” “That is what has made me Warner – albeitit hehe LangerLLianger iiss an so proud. While we are always (Warner) ddidn’tidn’t AustraAustralianlian striving to win, it’s the way our make many runsuns cricket lelegend.gend. in the Ashes bbutut AsAs an Austra-Auustra- players are holding them- he did in thethe lianlian opener,opener, hehe selves that makes me proud.” World Cup — wwasas a ferociousferocious Reflecting on the World earned the re- competcompetitoritor Cup and Ashes tour, Langer spect from the anandd brave.brave. said even the Aussie side’s opposition, thee publicpublic and the HeHe waswas harshest critics, the English’s media. You ccan’tan’t ask anyany happhappyy Barmy Army of cricket sup- more. coaccoachinghing porters, appeared to have “My respectct for both ofof gained new-found respect for them has soaredred not just as the when the their rivals. cricketers but as men. TheTheyy job of Australian cricket coach In particular, former Aus- have learnt fromom their mimis-s- became vacant in March, tralian takes, and are bbackack into it.”it.” 2018, after and his former deputy David Langer saidd compari- resigned after the ball tamper- Warner — who had previous- ing scandal that rocked the ly been suspended from sons between machine domestic and international Smith — who had averagedveraged cricket after the infamous more than 100 with tthehe bbatat ball-tampering scandal of during the Ashes series, We have 2018 along with WA batsman which included a doubleble cen-cen- — had tury — and Don Bradmanradman to keep making regained respect for the way were probably over thehe top. they conducted themselves in There was “only onene Brad- Australians England. But not before cop- man”, he said. ping abuse the likes of which But Smith was undoubted-oubted- proud Langer has never seen before. ly among the best Langernger hadhad seen. “The best thing of it all, one “I have never seen anyone of the highlights of the tour problem solve like he does,does,”” was at the end when there was Langer said of Smith. a standing ovation for Steve “The art of battingg is Smith,” Langer said. about problem solving.g. “From the day we arrived “If you askask me toto

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cricket world. “I go and have a coffee, When Langer talks about walk the dog. The simple that decision to take the job of things in life give me great Australian coach, a job that energy.” would keep him away from Langer is on a four-year- hihiss ffourour ddaughtersaughters anda wife contract, but he doesn’t like to fforor much ooff the yyear, he think too far ahead. He’s pre- sspeakspeaks of “we” – not “I”. viously said the job at times HHee says it was a family makes him feel like the “direc- ddecision.ecision. tor of soap opera”. LLangeranger says his family “The lessons I have joined him fforor two wweeks in learned about leadership in EEnglandngland aafterfter the WWorldo Cup. the last 18 months are great,” TThehe rerestst ooff the time he he said. “The job (of Austra- waswas separatedseparated fromfrom them, lian cricket coach) is tiring and faceface timing every morningm stressful. andand every nignightht tto speak “There are times when I to them.them. think ‘how do I keep going’. ItIt was toughtough being But what gets me out of bed away from the ones he every day is that I am learning loved,loved, he said. and I am getting better and I “We as a family am learning about leadership. knew it (coaching(c “With earning respect (for job) wouldwou have the Australian side) I know we its challengesch are not there yet. We have to — includingin keep making Australians thethe last five proud and earning that re- monthsmo in spect. That’s the challenge off England,”En it. It’s a relentless job. But I LangerLa love it mate.” said.sai ““I got homehome last ThursdayThursday night.night. I was sit- tingting therethere on tthehe couchcou and I was sayingsaying ‘I can’t believebeli that it’sit’s been ffiveive months’.months’. “We“We knew when I took on thethe jobjob that the WWorldo Cup and the Ashes in EnglandEngl was goinggoing to be a huge challenge.ch “But“But we got tthroughhroug it. And we got through it unscathed hopefully. “If we got through this, we can get through anything as a family. Life keeps moving for- wards. They are healthy and happy. It’s worked out OK.” Langer says coming home to Perth, is “like being on holi- days”. It’s the simple things in life he loves most — walking the dog, sipping a coffee at his local, taking his youngest daughter, Grace, 13, to school. “Coming home refreshes me and gives me a chance to reflect,” he said.

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From left: Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and .

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