Justin Langer opens up on acrimonious Australia exit and how writing memoir has helped him move on

Justin Langer has compared writing his memoir to a form ‘of therapy’ after his reign as Australia’s coach ended acrimoniously and has not ruled out stepping away from the game entirely.

Last summer the 51-year-old coached Australia T20 World Cup glory and to a 4-0 drubbing of England in the Ashes, only to resign less than a month after Australia had retained the urn. 

The former Australian opener left his role in February after he was not offered the long-term deal he wanted, with Cricket Australia offering a contract to keep in charge only until the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Justin Langer resigned from his role as Australia’s head coach in February 

Langer’s position had been subject of debate since the summer of 2021, when Australia lost a Test series at home against India and reports of discontent with his methods began to surface.

The former Australia coach admitted feeling angry at the criticism aimed his way as he stepped down, but said writing his memoir – his eight book – had helped.

‘Right now it’s a form of therapy, writing, because at the time I was angry, I was deeply hurt by the media,’ Langer told The Age. 

‘I’ve got thick skin but more so how it was affecting my family, because they were reading things.’

Some of Australia’s players were reportedly growing unhappy with Langer’s ‘intensity’ 

The former Australia opener said he was ‘deeply hurt’ by the manner of his departure

Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his departure from the role he had held for almost four years, Langer conceded closure remained still some way off.

‘As I sit here now I’m so happy. […] I’ve got some scars from the last 12 months, but I’ll work through those, that’s life.  In my darkest hours is when I’ve learned my greatest lessons.’

Those lessons may not necessarily be applied on a cricket field, with Langer hinting he may step away from the game for the first time in three decades. 

Notably, he refused to rule out a future in public office when asked last week by Western Australia governor Kim Beazley whether he may step into politics. 

Langer has admitted in the future he could step away from cricket after three decades

‘I wasn’t happy the way it all ended, but I’m really proud of what we achieved,’ Langer, who was courted by the Liberal Party after retiring as a player, said.

‘So I just wonder now whether it’s time for a new chapter and doing something else, because I love the game of cricket but I’ve been doing it [for a long time] […] I’m excited to see what opportunities come up next.’

Following his resignation from his role as Australia’s head coach, NewsCorp reported in March that he had been approached to coach the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League next season.

Nothing came of it, while Langer last week revealed he was never seriously approached by England to take over from Chris Silverwood, who was sacked after the Ashes last summer.