One coach for all formats: Langer

Western Australia coach Justin Langer says he’s against the idea of a separate coach for each format of the game at international level.

The 46-year-old will take charge of Australia’s Twenty20 team for three matches in February while Darren Lehmann and the Test side prepare for the first Test in India.

Langer took over as coach of WA and KFC Big Bash League outfit Perth Scorchers in 2012 and has built an impressive resume, having steered the Scorchers to three consecutive finals and back-to-back titles in 2013-14 and 2014-15, as well as consecutive Sheffield Shield finals and a Matador Cup triumph in 2014.

The former Test opener also filled in as coach of Australia’s one-day international tri-series in the Caribbean this year while Lehmann took a break from touring, but he said “one person overseeing the whole thing” remained the best structure.

Langer’s latest national opportunity has been created by a scheduling clash, with three T20 fixtures against Sri Lanka to be contested in Melbourne (February 17), Geelong (February 19) and Adelaide (February 22).

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The final match will be played the day before Australia’s opening Test against India in Pune. 

“This is a really unusual situation to have two teams (playing at once). But I still think in a perfect world you've got one captain and one coach,” Langer said.

“In times like this you can have good people to help out as required, but I honestly don't think that's the way forward.

“I think the messages can become diluted, and I don't think that's positive. 

“I think one of our advantages at the Scorchers is we've had that continuity of the same coaches right through the system. I think that's a competitive advantage. 

“People will argue that, but I think our record at the Scorchers shows that if you get the continuity, you benefit from that and that's how I think it should stay.”

While Shane Warne, Michael Hussey, Jason Gillespie and Ricky Ponting were among Australian champions touted for the role of stand-in coach, Langer’s appointment underlines him as the leading candidate to one day take over the top job from Lehmann, who is contracted until 2019.

And Langer says his coaching experience in Perth was a key factor in Cricket Australia’s decision to hand him the reins for the T20 series.

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“I think it's really important being at the coalface as much as you can,” Langer said.

“One thing I've learnt is it's a lot different from being a player to being a coach. And when you become a head coach, there's a lot more work to it than you think. 

“So for a week-long opportunity like this there's so many guys that can do it, but I think having had the experience of being a head coach before makes a big difference.”

Just who will assist Langer during the three-match series against Sri Lanka is uncertain, but the highly-rated coach will look to guard against chasing too much support in a bid to not overcomplicate the message.

“I'm not sure yet. I'll have to make a few phone calls,” Langer said.

“There's some guys I'd love to have help out. I think we could trim it down as well. One thing I've learnt is that as it gets bigger and bigger and so-called more professional, it gets more and more people and sometimes that becomes more a more complex.

“You can spend more time managing people off the field than doing what you love, which is coaching and helping these kids become as good a group of players as possible. 

“So hopefully we can trim it down a bit, have a few good people to help out and go from there.”

Langer was not known as an aggressive player during his distinguished career, but he is a big fan of the game’s shortest format.

“I think Twenty20 is brilliant. As a person who played a lot of Test cricket and some would probably suggest a cricket purist, I love the game,” he said.

“I remember growing up as a kid wanting to be Viv Richards in coloured clothes after watching him at Gloucester Park in World Series cricket. 

“My personality and my ability allowed me to play the longer form of the game, but I wanted to be Viv Richards. If it’s bringing people to the game and it’s getting kids loving the game of cricket, I think it’s fantastic.”

Australia are placed sixth on the ICC Twenty20 rankings, having never won a major T20 tournament.

New Zealand, India and South Africa are the top-three ranked nations.

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