Pat Cummins plays peacemaker amid bitter Justin Langer feud
Test captain Pat Cummins has reportedly embarked on a mission to mend relations between Cricket Australia and various former players in the wake of former coach Justin Langer's sacking.
Despite presiding over a fairly successful period of Australian cricket, including an Ashes triumph and T20 World Cup victory, Langer was unceremoniously dumped by Cricket Australia after months of tension leading up of a planned contract renegotiation.
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Andrew McDonald was hired to replaced the outgoing Langer, but has already come under fire following Australia's lacklustre T20 World Cup defence on home soil.
The spectre of Langer's exit still looms, with Cummins' meeting with former Test great Adam Gilchrist the first of several planned with other legends from the 1990s and early 2000s.
The meeting, reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, comes days after Mark Waugh wrote for the Daily Telegraph that 'Langer may be gone, but his shadow still hangs over Australian cricket.'
The SMH report claimed current players believe there is an 'agenda' among former players, rankled by the treatment of former teammate Langer, against them and the current composition of Cricket Australia.
Waugh suggested McDonald has been too friendly with the players, in contrast to Langer, whose allegedly hard-nosed style lead to several leaked complaints about his leadership prior to his dismissal.
“The perception from the outside among ex-cricketers is the line is a bit blurred at the moment and there are questions about whether McDonald is too friendly and matey with all the players and is not going to make the hard decisions," he penned.
"Now we'll find out if the players' decision to turn (on Justin Langer) will be any good for Australian cricket."
Simon O'Donnell calls on Andrew McDonald to 'stamp' his role as head coach.@SENBreakfast | #AFL pic.twitter.com/jYWNPr884A— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) November 8, 2022
Former Test batsman Matthew Hayden, known for being the longtime opener alongside Langer, said it was clear Australia were unprepared heading into the T20 World Cup.
“Certainly from an Australian cricket point of view, there has to be planning heading towards world cups,” Hayden said.
“Australia, unfortunately, just didn’t get it right.”
Pat Cummins guilty of over rate infringement in first ODI captaincy
Cummins' debut as ODI captain got off to a winning start, but it has also resulted in a hit to the hip pocket after Australia were fined for a slow over rate.
Australia have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee for being two overs short of the time allowance in Thursday's six-wicket win over England at Adelaide Oval.
Former Australian Test star David Boon, who now sits on the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, imposed the sanction.
Under the rules, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for ever over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
Cummins has pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction.
Australia hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after chasing down England's 9-287 with 19 balls to spare.
The match was Cummins' first as captain of the ODI side following Aaron Finch's decision to retire from the 50-over format.
Game two of the series will take place in Sydney on Saturday.
With AAP
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