Test great Adam Gilchrist has turned his fury on Cricket Australia in the wake of Justin Langer’s resignation, declaring the former national coach had been portrayed “as a monster”.
As a chasm begins to widen between ex-Australian players and the current group amid accusations they were part of a 12-month push to “have Justin out of the position”, Gilchrist lashed CA for a “churn and burn” mentality and failing to consider the “cost on a human being” for the lack of public clarity in their motivations not to re-sign Langer.
Two days after Langer resigned after only being offered a six-month contract extension, Gilchrist, one of Langer’ closest friends, said he remained “staggered” at how the process played out with next to no real explanation why a long-term contract wasn’t offered for a coach who had just won the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.
“I don’t care to listen to any of the corporate speak about transition and analysis of the coach’s position and requirements and evolution, that is just covering up that certain players and support staff around that team have spoken and they no longer wanted Justin there,” Gilchrist said on Monday.
“I’m not inside that camp so I can’t question whether they are well intentioned or not. I am sure they are well intentioned from the way they see it.
“Absolutely, there sexjmtzywems to be some disunity there. I don’t think the players would have pushed so hard both privately to CA and clearly, I could not tell you if players were doing (it) or player managers, but feeding information to the press. There was a concerted push to have Justin out of the positions.
“Justin has realised those key fundamental values he has always based his life on. There was very little of that coming from within the group or CA. That’s where my focus goes to now.
“The cost on a human being and his family and the method with which everyone has gone about this and none the least CA and the board. It stuns me the personal capital and human capital they are happy to churn and burn is extraordinary.”
Gilchrist was especially frustrated with the way Langer, who took over the job after the sandpaper scandal in 2018 and restored Australian faith in the team, had been portrayed since leaks began to emerge about his style during 2021.
“Since then, through to now where every day he is being painted a certain way, painted by particular people as a monster. That is not Justin Langer,” he told SEN.
“He’ll be the first to admit he has his frailties, his areas of weakness. But geez, he’ll sit with you and look you in the eye and sort it out. He’s being painted as a monster.
“What sort of effect would that have on your personally? What’s the flow-on effect on to your family? Particularly through a period of time where you are not really understanding what’s going on.
“I think it’s quite reckless and some of the decision making over a long period of time has been fuelled by greed and it really leaves me staggered.”
