Australia must tour England in September "for the health of world cricket", and players should then be released to join the Indian T20 League, coach Justin Langer said Thursday.

Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, Langer said Australia had to play its part in getting cricket moving again, even if it meant enduring quarantine, biosecurity restrictions and time away from family.

"My personal view is we have to go. For so many reasons," Langer told News Corp Australia.

"I think we have to go to England. There are lots of challenges of course but we have to find solutions to make sure that can happen if possible."

"I think for the health of world cricket.

Australia's limited-overs series scheduled for this month in England was postponed because of the global virus, and September has been raised as an alternative.

Cricket Australia, which has laid off 15 percent of its staff during the pandemic, is also desperate to host a money-spinning Test series against India later this year.

"As much as we'd like India to come over here, I think we need to reciprocate that with England if we can."

Langer believed releasing Australia's big names to join the Indian T20 League -- whose revised dates are yet to be announced -- is also essential as a goodwill gesture, to make sure India go ahead with their Test tour.

"I think we have to. Talking frankly," Langer said.

"I hear a different story about the Indian T20 League's plans every few days. It varies. So until there's some clarity and we can work out how it affects the domestic season, how it affects our players, how it works with quarantine... there's a lot of considerations here."

After months of lockdown, international cricket resumed on Wednesday with England's home Test against the West Indies.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Jeremy Ng

 

 

Australian coach Justin Langer revealed that long-time batting assistant Graeme Hick was among 40 jobs axed due to the global pandemic and said telling him was like "facing Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh without a helmet and a box on".

Cricket Australia announced the round of cuts on Wednesday, a day after chief executive Kevin Roberts resigned, with the former England batsman one of those let go.

Langer said it was "really hard" breaking the news to Hick -- as tough as facing the legendary West Indian pace duo.

"You won't meet a person of greater integrity than Graeme Hick. His worth ethic is unbelievable, his knowledge of the game is unbelievable, so it was a really tough call," he said.

"It's nothing that he's done, it's more of an impact of the cost-cutting that we're doing because of the COVID situation."

Some 15 percent of Cricket Australia's staff are being made redundant to save Aus$40 million (US$27.6 million), with the governing body concerned about further financial shocks this year.

Langer said the cuts would have an impact on the national team. Along with losing Hick, he said it may not be possible to have a second selector on overseas tours, as is customary. Langer, Trevor Hohns and George Bailey make up the three-man selection panel.

"I think there'll be more in-depth conversations to work through actually how this is going to work," he said.

"So, we're aware of it now and now it's (time) to do our job, to get creative and work out how it's best going to work for the organisation and for the team."

The cuts could also have implications for Langer's favoured approach of tapping former greats as mentors, roles filled in recent times by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

"We're just going to have to be more creative and we're going to have to work through solutions for how we can make that (mentoring) happen," he said.

"We will certainly have less staff on the road with us, but the guys will still get great support. We'll be a bit leaner and sharper, that's for sure, but we'll survive, we'll adapt, and the players will still get the service required."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Arun Sankar

Captain Tim Paine said Wednesday Australia were wary of being "surprised" by Pakistan's young pace attack, which could include 16-year-old sensation Naseem Shah, and admitted they had been studying as much footage as possible.

The home team go into the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane starting Thursday as overwhelming favourites, with Pakistan having lost losing their last 12 five-day matches in Australia.

But the tourists' attack has an element of the unknown, with not only Naseem tipped to make his debut but 19-year-old pacemen Shaheen Afridi and Musa Khan in the squad.

"We've prepared for all of them. That's the thing with Pakistan, they have a lot of different options, a lot of skill and by the looks of it a fair bit of pace," said Paine.

"So we've made sure we've looked at as much footage as possible of their pace attack, and their batters.

"What we don't want is to go out there tomorrow at some stage and be surprised by something we see, whether that's their spinner, their quicks or their batsmen. So we've done our research."

Naseem, whose mother died last week, has only played seven first-class games, but impressed with a fiery eight-over spell against Australia A in Perth in the build-up.

Paine said he had played with 16-year-olds in club cricket, but never on such a big stage.

"He looks like a really, really exciting talent," he said. 

"Pakistan have got a knack of finding these young fast bowlers so it looks like they have another one to add to that rich history of fast bowlers that they seem to produce."

Pakistan also boast the impressive Muhammad Abbas and veteran Imran Khan senior among their fast bowling arsenal while Yasir Shah is a prolific leg-spinner.

Reliance on Smith

They will be hoping to make quick inroads into the Australian top order in Brisbane, but face huge hurdles in knocking over David Warner and Steve Smith.

Smith carried his side in the recent Ashes series against England and Paine said he wanted to see the rest of the batsmen offer him more support against Pakistan.

"Probably during the Ashes we relied too heavily on Steve, so the rest of top seven are really keen to score a lot of runs," he said.

"Traditionally we love batting in Australia, we have had some real success on this ground, it's a great ground to bat on if you can get in and spend a lot of time out there."

Joe Burns, who scored a century in his last Test against Sri Lanka in February, is expected to open with Warner. Smith or Marnus Labuschagne will bat at number three, followed by Travis Head, Matthew Wade and Paine.

Coach Justin Langer echoed Paine's call for more consistency from Australia's batting line-up.

"We're number five in the world in Test cricket at the moment, and there's reasons for that," Langer said. 

"One of them is that we don't score 300-plus in the first innings enough. Our batters are very aware of that.

"We're not going to shy away from that. It's no secret. We know we've got to keep improving and I'm confident we will."

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Saeed Khan

Australia's star batsman Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third Ashes Test beginning on Thursday after suffering concussion, a decision which coach Justin Langer said was a "no brainer".

The 30-year-old Smith -- who has scored two centuries and 92 in his three innings in the first two Tests -- was felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer on Saturday in the first innings of the second Test at Lord's.

Smith's absence will be a huge blow to Australia who hold a 1-0 lead in the five Test series and for whom victory at Headingley would ensure they retained the Ashes.

Their other batsmen have not looked convincing -- experienced opener David Warner has totalled just 18 in his four innings -- with Smith being the lynchpin.  

"When we followed the protocols, he was probably a couple of days off being fit to be selected," said Langer at a press conference.

"It was really a no-brainer. He felt a bit better yesterday but he's not going to have enough time to tick off everything he's got to do."

Langer, who replaced Darren Lehmann as coach when the latter resigned following the ball-tampering scandal that blew up on the tour of South Africa in 2018, said losing Smith was as big a blow as England losing leading wicket taker Jimmy Anderson in the first Test.

"It's not unlike England losing James Anderson. He's arguably their best bowler and we're going to lose arguably our best batsman for this Test match," said Langer.

"It is always a blow. No doubt about that. When you take your best players out it always has an impact.

"We have to make sure our senior players and the younger guys step up and fill what are almost unfillable shoes because he's the best player in the world."

The team doctor Richard Saw had the final say on whether Smith played or not and he was seen speaking with him during team training on Tuesday.

According to the Cricket Australia website vice-captain Pat Cummins patted Smith on the shoulder and coach Justin Langer wrapped his arm round the former captain as the rest of the squad trained without him.

Smith -- who has risen to number two in the world batting rankings -- was pictured with his head in his hands and Langer looking glumly at the ground.   

- Key innings -

Smith, whose two centuries in the first Test were pivotal in Australia taking a 1-0 lead, returned to bat on Saturday despite the blow to the side of the head that felled him. He added 12 runs before being out.

However, he was unable to play on the fifth and final day on Sunday as he awoke feeling "groggy". Australia held on to draw the Test with his concussion substitute Marnus Labuschagne playing a key innings.

The Ashes series is the first being played under the International Cricket Council's new concussion substitute regulations, as part of the inaugural World Test Championship.

The regulations allow players who have suffered head or neck injuries to be replaced fully by a substitute, who was previously restricted to fielding alone.

During Saturday's play Smith was wearing a helmet without the additional stem guard neck protection introduced following the death of his former Australia team-mate Phillip Hughes who was hit by a bouncer in a domestic Sheffield Shield match in Sydney in 2014.

Australia, bidding for their first Ashes campaign triumph on English soil in 18 years, lead the series thanks to a 251-run win at Edgbaston a fortnight ago.

In that match, Smith marked his first Test since completing a 12-month ban for his role in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa with superb innings of 144 and 142.

Smith has two weeks to be ready for the fourth Test in Manchester, which starts on September 4, with a three-day tour match in Derby from August 29-31.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Adrian Dennis

Australia coach Justin Langer said there may come a time when Steve Smith has to wear a neckguard on his helmet whether he likes it or not after the star batsman was felled by a bouncer in the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's on Saturday.

Smith had made 80 on the fourth day when he was struck by a short ball from fast bowler Jofra Archer, timed at 92.4 mph (148.7 kph), on an unprotected part of his neck. 

Smith, who fell to the ground, retired hurt after receiving onfield treatment.

Read | Steve Smith entertains, even when he leaves the ball

But after just 46 minutes away, he returned at the fall of the next wicket before he was lbw to Chris Woakes for 92.

That dismissal denied Smith his third hundred in as many Ashes innings after he marked his comeback Test following a 12-month ball-tampering ban, with scores of 144 and 142 in Australia's 251-run win at Edgbaston.

Significantly, Smith was wearing a helmet without the additional stem guard neck protection introduced following the death of Phillip Hughes after his former Australia team-mate was hit by a bouncer in a 2014 domestic Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.

"He (Smith) just doesn't feel right (wearing a stem guard)," said Langer.

"I know they came in after the tragedy of Hughesy. He might rethink it now after seeing what happened today, but you'd have to ask him that.

"At the moment, the players have a choice and I wouldn't be surprised if they become mandatory in the future."

Former Australia batsman Langer was hit on the head several times during his Test career, including on debut by the West Indies' Ian Bishop at Adelaide in 1993.

But the 48-year-old was confident Saturday's blow would not do lasting damage to Smith's confidence against fast bowling.   

"When you get hit, it's always in the back of your mind," said Langer. 

"Any batsman who tells you it's not is a liar. But he (Smith) is also the sort of person who will do everything from now until the next time he bats -- whether it's mentally, visualising or practising -- to be right."

This series has seen the introduction of concussion substitutes, who can replace a batsman who has a severe head or neck injury.

But Langer insisted Australia had not taken an undue risk in allowing Smith to resume his innings.

"He passed all the testing and that's why he came back out," he said. 

"These are like my sons alright, so you're never going to put them in harm's way, even though you're always in harm's way with Test cricket. 

"What else do you do? The medicos cleared him, he wanted to get out there."

- 'Outstanding Archer' -

Before this match, Langer said Australia would look to test Test debutant Archer's resilience.

Read | A fiery Jofra Archer spell and Steven Smith's heroics

The World Cup winner, in for the injured James Anderson, rarely let up, however, during a fine return of 2-59 in 29 overs.

"I've got massive admiration for Jofra," Langer said. 

"But I did say, like all bowlers, Test cricket is really hard.

"His endurance was outstanding today, his skill, his pace...To be able to bowl 29 overs today, what a great effort. Time will tell whether that has an impact."

Smith's 92 helped Australia close to within eight runs of England's first-innings 258.

Australia quick Pat Cummins then took two wickets in two balls, including dismissing England captain Joe Root for a golden duck.

At stumps, England were 96-4, a lead of just 104 runs.

Australia could yet now force a win that would put them 2-0 up with three to play even though five sessions in the match have been washed out.

"My thoughts are this is why we love Test cricket so much," said Langer.

"We've lost a couple of days -�or nearly a couple of days � to rain and it's absolutely game on tomorrow."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Adrian Dennis

Australia coach Justin Langer revealed on Tuesday that Peter Handscomb will be picked to face hosts England in their Cricket World Cup semi-final at Edgbaston.

Handscomb was left out of Australia's initial 15-man squad after the return of Steve Smith and David Warner from year-long ball-tampering bans.

But the 28-year-old was drafted in as a replacement for the injured Shaun Marsh, and with Usman Khawaja ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a hamstring problem, there is now a batting vacancy that Handscomb will fill on Thursday.

"I'll tell you the truth: Peter will definitely play, 100 percent," Langer told reporters in Birmingham on Tuesday.

"He deserves it. He was so unlucky not to be in the initial squad after what he'd done to help us get to that point.

"He's in good form, he's played well for Australia A and gives us that nice balance through the middle order. He's on top of his game."

Langer also confirmed Matthew Wade would come into the squad in place of Khawaja, pending approval from the International Cricket Council's technical committee.

"He'll just come in as the official replacement for Usman Khawaja. Like everyone in the squad there's potential for him to play, definitely," Langer said.

"He's a real seasoned pro and he's had an unbelievable 12 months or so in domestic cricket. With his experience, if he plays, then we're confident he'll do a really good job."

Marcus Stoinis, who has been struggling with a side injury, provided some good news for Australia when he was passed fit to play after a workout in the nets.

Langer also explained why he led Australia's players on a barefoot walkabout at the ground on Monday before the group shared stories on the pitch in a so-called "bonding circle".

"It's a nice thing to do. Haydos (Matthew Hayden) and I used to do it as a bit of a ritual before every Test match," he said.

"It was just walking a lap of the oval with our shoes off. We could have done it with our shoes on and nobody would have said anything.

"If you go back 12 months there wasn't much to be relaxed and chilled about in Australian cricket, was there? We went through a major crisis in our cricket. It didn't just affect our cricket, it affected our country.

"We've got to work hard on being more humble in what we do and being focused on playing good cricket."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

Australia may have already booked their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup ahead of Saturday's round-robin finale against South Africa but the match still matters to coach Justin Langer.

Victory over the Proteas at Old Trafford would ensure the defending champions remain top of the standings.

That would mean they stayed in Manchester for a semi-final on Tuesday which would almost certainly be against New Zealand -- a team Australia have already defeated during this tournament and the side they beat in the 2015 final.

Langer wants to maintain the feel-good factor in his squad, who have lost just one game out of eight, to India, who are challenging them for top spot in the 10-team group phase.

"It's about maintaining the momentum of winning," Australia coach Langer said at Old Trafford on Thursday. "That's really important for us.

"For this game, some people said it was a dead rubber. There's nothing dead about it."

Saturday's match is set to be the first occasion David Warner and Steve Smith have faced South Africa since their involvement in a ball-tampering scandal during a Test in Cape Town led to 12-month bans for the star batsmen.

"There's no way we'll ever get complacent," said former Australia batsman Langer. "Not with what's happened the last 12 months. We're playing good cricket, so we want to continue the momentum of winning going forward."

Smith and Warner have been repeatedly booed by crowds since arriving in England for a lengthy tour that also includes a five-Test Ashes series.

But Langer said he did not expect the pair to have any extra nerves this weekend despite what happened in their last match against South Africa.

"I don't think so. They got a good taste of what they were going to expect from the moment we turned up in England," said Langer.

"This game is significant for a lot of our players, but we've just got to take all the emotion out of it.

"We're here to take the two points, keep the winning momentum going forward and for those guys this is just another exciting game of World Cup cricket for them."

Langer said Australia's pursuit of victory meant left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, and paceman Pat Cummins, would both play on Saturday.

"I know Mitch and Pat definitely don't want to miss this game," he said.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Saeed Khan

Australia coach Justin Langer says England are still the team to beat at the World Cup despite their surprise loss to Sri Lanka.

England's seemingly assured path to the semi-finals now looks a lot less smooth after a 20-run reverse at Headingley followed an earlier group-stage defeat by Pakistan.

They next face arch-rivals Australia at Lord's on Tuesday, with the reigning champions in fine form after winning five of their six pool games so far -- the only blot on their record a defeat by title rivals India. 

But Langer said England fully deserved their place at the top of the one-day international rankings, having climbed to the summit from the ruins of a woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

"They are the best team in the world. Just look at their team... nothing has changed in a week," Langer said on Sunday.

"I can't wait for Tuesday -- England at Lord's, World Cup. That is what we are thinking about," added the former Australia opening batsman.

Langer had a stint in the English domestic game with southwest side Somerset, where he first encountered a young Jos Buttler.

The England vice-captain is now regarded as one of the quickest-scoring and most innovative batsmen in the game today, with Langer nominating the wicketkeeper-batsman as the natural successor to veteran India great MS Dhoni. 

"Jos is an unbelievable player. I love watching him bat. He is the new Dhoni of world cricket," said Langer.

"I hope he gets a duck in this (Tuesday's) game obviously, but I saw him at Somerset and he is an unbelievable athlete and an incredible finisher. 

"They (England) have a very strong batting unit and we will have to be right on it."

But Australia have several in-form batsmen of their own, notably opener David Warner, who is the tournament's current leading run-scorer with 447 from six innings.

Both Warner and former captain Steve Smith are making their comebacks from year-long ball-tampering bans, with the pair roundly booed when they faced England in a World Cup warm-up match in Southampton.

Langer, asked if he expected more of the same even from the traditionally polite spectators at Lord's, replied: "Yes, probably but that is OK.

"There is nothing we can do about the crowds or the opposition. We will just go about our business.

"I did not know Davey that well (before being appointed as Australia coach) but he is good company.

"His runs speak for themselves. He is smiling a lot. He is hungry. He is playing well. He loves his family.

"Like Steve, the return has been seamless and they are playing well too, which is pleasing," Langer added.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket Australia

Australia head coach Justin Langer has called on fans to show Steve Smith and David Warner respect in the World Cup and not jeer them.

The pair, who both recently completed bans for ball-tampering, were given a hostile reception by the crowd at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton during Australia's World Cup warm-up victory over England.

There were audible boos, jeers, and chants of "cheat", but Langer has urged supporters not to repeat that behaviour during the tournament itself.

"You (the media) talk about earning respect, and I think it's really important that people show respect as well," Langer said ahead of five-time winners Australia's World Cup opener against Afghanistan in Bristol on Saturday.

"They made a mistake and paid a big price for it. After the experience of Hampshire, we have a pretty good idea what to expect. We've talked about it a lot and we can put strategies in place.

"That said, when it happens it doesn't make it any easier. They are human beings, that's the truth -- and that's what I find the hardest."

He added: "I'd be disappointed by any player being booed at any cricket ground, regardless of what country they play for. It's never a good look when that happens."

Langer confirmed that Warner would open the batting against Afghanistan if he passes a fitness test.

But the 32-year-old has been troubled by a sore muscle, which has restricted his movement in the field during practice sessions.

"He was a bit sore on Wednesday," said Langer. "He's just a bit sore in his right glute. He is desperate to play, he'd love to play like all 15 players would.

"He's jumping out of his skin, his energy is up and he's laughing a lot, which is a good sign. He's really keen but we've got to make sure he can move, particularly in the field."

If Warner is available, Langer will make a decision between Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh for the final spot in the Australian top order, while both would play if Warner is not quite ready.

Steve Smith and David Warner have been welcomed back to the Australian team with "no tension", coach Justin Langer said Friday, with the World Cup offering another opportunity for redemption.

AFP / Munir UZ Zaman

The duo returned to the national side for a World Cup training camp Friday in Brisbane after serving year-long bans for their part in the "sandpapergate" scandal in Cape Town that rocked cricket. 

"There is no tension," a smiling Langer told reporters. "They're back in the team now. They've been selected, which is brilliant."

The duo have enjoyed a solid comeback in the Indian T20 League, with Warner in blistering form, topping the competition batting rankings with 692 runs from 12 innings.

Langer acknowledged there would need to be some adjustments for the former team leaders, but said the team would be boosted by their experience.

"When you come from the titled position of captain then there is going to be a certain degree of humility that comes with that," he said.

"One of our really strong values is humility, so there will be great opportunity to develop that."

The Aussie coach welcomed the selection dilemma Smith and Warner added to the top order, joining Aaron Finch, Usman Khawja and Shaun Marsh, made it "exciting to have those five 100-makers at our disposal".

Australia are the reigning World Cup champions and have been in recent red-hot form winning eight one-day internationals on the trot, against India and Pakistan.

"We have had great success in the past. While we celebrate that, it means nothing on how we play this (World Cup)," Langer said.

"But I do know that we had a very humbling experience. And we bought it upon ourselves," he added, reflecting on vision of Smith being "frog-marched out of South Africa".

He said the team needed to use every tournament on the calendar to "make Australians proud of us again".

"We must make the most of every opportunity that comes up, including this World Cup," he said.

The World Cup starts on May 30 in England and Wales.