Langer's ultimatum to Shaun Marsh

Justin Langer says some hard truths delivered to Shaun Marsh shortly after he was appointed coach of Western Australia has helped the young batsman turn his career around.

Langer, who will step in for Darren Lehmann as Australia's head coach for the upcoming Qantas Tour of the West Indies, has been at the helm of WA and the Perth Scorchers since November 2012, steering the Scorchers to consecutive KFC Big Bash League titles and WA to one Matador One-Day Cup crown and two Sheffield Shield finals.

While the WACA have enjoyed great success under Langer, the former Test batsman had taken over a side that was beset by disappointing results on the field and ill-discipline off it.

Langer replaced Lachlan Stevens in the top job in the early stages of the 2012-13 season, inheriting a side that had started the Sheffield Shield campaign with three outright defeats and was still reeling from the axing of Shaun and Mitchell Marsh during Perth's Champions League Twenty20 campaign a month earlier.

Image Id: ~/media/E9E93BDCF91B47F0AE7847F316F5C9A8 Image Caption: Langer after he was named WA coach in 2012 // Getty Images

The brothers and their teammates had enjoyed a night out celebrating Mitch's 21st birthday and while no further action was taken, the older Marsh brother was playing Second XI cricket by the time Langer was appointed, less than 12 months after the left-hander had been wearing the Baggy Green.

As a former teammate of the brothers' father Geoff, as well as his former pupil when Marsh was Australia's head coach, Langer had a long and close relationship to the Marsh family.

However, he didn't hesitate in laying down the law to the then 29-year-old Shaun.

"I talked to Shaun, his manager and his parents - who are some of my closest friends," Langer said in an interview with cricbuzz.

"I looked him in the face and I said 'I will always love you but if you step out of place, you can't be in the organisation ... you can't afford to make one mistake'.

"I think he appreciated the honesty and from then Shaun has been outstanding."

Marsh eventually regained his spot in WA's first XI and ultimately returned to Australia's Test side, and has enjoyed mixed results in his 10 Tests since Langer took over.

The high point was the left-hander's career-best 182 against the West Indies last summer, ironically scored in a record-breaking partnership with another of Langer's pupils, WA captain Adam Voges.

Langer has also helped transform the career of Mitchell Marsh, who made his international debut as a 19-year-old in 2011 but whose career was at a crossroads when Langer took over as coach.

In a recent interview with cricket.com.au, the younger Marsh said his state coach had been pivotal in his rise to his current status as Australia's premier allrounder in all forms of the game.

Quick Single: Marsh endorses the rise of Langer

"When 'JL' first came on board he challenged me with my fitness and that was probably the one thing that was letting me down as a young kid," Marsh said.

"I've got myself to a point now where I'm very fit and my body, touch wood, is holding up to the rigours of international cricket.

"I've certainly got him to thank for that. 

"The biggest thing about JL is, he cares for his players a lot – he'll do absolutely anything for you.

"He's worked tirelessly, thrown me thousands of balls at training trying to get things right, and if it's not he won't stop until it is, which is what you want in a coach."

Langer's next coaching challenge is a return to the national side, after a Test career that spanned 14 years and a previous stint as the team's batting coach.

Lehmann has vocally backed Langer as his possible successor, although the current coach has expressed a desire to continue on until the 2019 World Cup in the UK.

Langer hasn't shied away from the possibility that he could one day be Australia's full-time head coach, but says his task in the Caribbean will be to simply keep the world's No.1 ranked team on a steady course.

"Life is about timing, maybe I'll coach Australia one day," he said.

"I look forward to the Caribbean but it is a caretaker role and is about giving Boof (Lehmann) a few weeks off.

"My role is to just keep things humming and not fiddle around too much."

Langer and the Australians depart for the Caribbean at the end of the month ahead of their ODI Tri-Series opener against the West Indies in Guyana on June 5.