Justin Langer resigns as Australia cricket coach following CA board meeting

Justin Langer has ended six months of speculation over his role with the Australian men’s cricket team by resigning as head coach, effectively immediately.

Uncertainty which has swirled around his future since last August remained following a lengthy Cricket Australia board meeting on Friday at which his role was the subject of “significant discussions”.

After the seven-hour meeting the CA board failed to reach a resolution and said further talks were required before a decision could be made on his future.

But on Saturday morning, Langer took the decision out of CA’s hands, with his management issuing a statement on social media to announce their client would be standing down immediately.

“DSEG confirms that our client Justin Langer has this morning tendered his resignation as coach of the Australian mens cricket team,” the statement read.

“The resignation follows a meeting with Cricket Australia last evening. The resignation is effective immediately.

Langer’s contract was due to expire in June, and it was always CA’s intention to address his future once last year’s T20 World Cup and the recent Ashes series had been completed.

Both trophies were banked – the Ashes urn retained in style with a 4-0 drubbing of England – but despite his on-field success, Langer’s old-school, direct style of man-management had been under scrutiny since a meeting between senior players and CA CEO Nick Hockley last August.

Langer’s resignation leaves CA little time to find a replacement before the team leave for a tour of Pakistan in less than a month. Andrew McDonald is expected to take over in the interim, having previously coached the side on white-ball tours in the absence of Langer.

McDonald is also the favourite to assume the role on a