Justin Langer's future as Australian cricket coach remains as complicated as his reign

Justin Langer beamed as he strolled across Bellerive Oval, floodlights illuminating another stunning Ashes triumph for his Australia Test team.

He embraced each and every one of his players, from Pat Cummins and David Warner to Scott Boland and Alex Carey, and was received just as warmly by them all.

Together, they had systematically dismantled England to complete a 4-0 series win, with two of those wins coming within three days' play.

Weeks earlier, Langer had led the T20 team to their maiden World Cup victory. Weeks later, he would be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

To someone whose interest in cricket is purely seasonal, Australia's men's coach appears on top of the world and on top of his game.

In truth, he's fighting for his job.

Langer's contract is up in June and his future in the role remains uncertain, muddied even further by reporting this week.

From Fox Sports and the Sydney Morning Herald emerged details of a «fiery» meeting between Langer, Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley and high performance manager Ben Oliver, in which Langer had a «meltdown» over suggestions he would effectively have to reapply for his own job at contract's end.

Cricket Australia swiftly moved to dismiss those reports on Tuesday, saying «we reject outright the assertion that the meeting was fiery or heated and that Justin was asked to reapply for his job».

Other, more-cautious reporting has suggested Langer has baulked at the offer of a shorter contract.

Whatever the truth of situation — the ABC understands Cricket Australia will hold another board meeting on Friday, but are in no rush to make a decision on the coaching position — this latest drama serves only as the latest chapter in Langer's increasingly turbulent reign.

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