Mitchell Johnson "Smoked Him": Michael Clarke Wants Pat Cummins To "Stand Tall" After Justin Langer's Resignation

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke believes that the reputation of Pat Cummins has taken a hit after Justin Langer resigned as the coach of the senior men's team. Cricket Australia on Saturday accepted men's team head coach Justin Langer's resignation. "Justin was offered a short-term extension to his current contract, which sadly he has opted not to accept," stated an official Cricket Australia release. After this, former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson labelled Cummins as "gutless" and said the Test skipper has an agenda to bring his own coach.

"The Australian public isn't stupid and this is my point with Pat Cummins. His reputation is squeaky-clean. Right now it has taken a hit, until he stands there and voices his opinion. Look what Mitchell Johnson said about Pat Cummins. A teammate, a friend of his has smoked him," Clarke said on The Big Sports Breakfast, as reported by Fox Sports.

"My advice to Patty is he has got to stand there. He needs to tell the fans where he sits on this because everyone thinks it is Patty who made the decision. That accountability sits with him. He is trying to honour both parties and has done it very well. He is trying to look after Cricket Australia. I don't like seeing Pat get smacked for this because I think he is in a lose-lose situation. He sits right in the middle," he added.

The contract extension offered to Justin was the result of a thorough review process that evaluated many factors including future requirements of the team and the upcoming extensive schedule of fixtures. The extension was approved by the CA Board and was put to Justin last night. It included the opportunity to defend the T20 World Cup title in Australia at the end of this year.

Langer was appointed as the