Langer to assist Australian Test squad

Cricket Australia today announced that Australian Test legend Justin Langer will support the coaching of the Australia Test team.

Langer will help Tim Nielsen's coaching team as a batting coach and in a mentoring capacity.

Langer, who played 105 Test matches with a batting average of 45.27 and retired from Test cricket in January 2007, will work with the Test squad for the majority of the upcoming Test season.

Langer has recently retired from first-class cricket with Somerset. He captained Somerset for three years and took them from the bottom of the second division of the County Championship to be one of the most competitive teams in England and helped them qualify for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament this year.
CA's General Manager Cricket, Michael Brown, said: "Justin Langer will join the Australian Test squad and provide specialist skills in assisting the batters prepare for Test match cricket. He'll also develop plans to assist players cope with the rigours of the Test match game.

"We are thrilled to have a player of Justin's experience working with the Test team. Justin was renowned for his professional approach to preparation and his commitment to play for his country. He will help many young players as our team continues to develop," Brown said.

Commenting on his appointment, Justin Langer, said: "When CA approached me about this appointment, I felt privileged to be considered. I have been passionate about Australian cricket for many years so I am excited about playing a ‘hands on' role in the continued development of the Test team, particularly in the batting and leadership departments.

"Having just retired as a player I can think of no better apprenticeship in coaching than to work with Ricky and Tim and the Australian Cricket Team," he added.

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Twenty20 cricket is a massive emotional rollercoaster: Langer

Bangalore, Oct. 16 (ANI): Former Australian opener Justin Langer, who now plays first class cricket for Sussex, has described Twenty20 cricket as a huge emotional, but brilliant exercise.

''It's a massive emotional rollercoaster, Twenty20 cricket, and that was highlighted again here. It's been amazing. Honestly, it's a great thing. Brilliant. Look at the people jumping around ... it's brilliant. I'm rooted, I've got to say,'' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Langer as saying on the sidelines of a Deccan Chargers Vs Trinidad and Tobago Campions League 20-20 clash.

For three hours, Langer hardly moved, admitting afterwards he had not ''watched that much cricket for ages''.

He had good reason to be on edge: a Chargers win would have sent him into retirement, effective immediately.

While the Sabres' last-ball victory over Deccan last weekend was dramatic, Langer said watching Wednesday night's match - the last of round one in the Champions League Twenty20 - was harder to cope with.

The Champions League is a fitting end to Langer's four-year stint at the English county side, which he's captained for three years.

''I've had a great time at Somerset. We've gone from bottom of everything in the second division three years ago, now we're playing on the big stage. So, it does make you proud, definitely,'' he said.

The left-hander was never favoured by Australia in the shorter form of the game - he played only eight one-day internationals - yet in Twenty20 he has proved to be a very effective opener, averaging 29.35 at a strike-rate of 138.8.

Langer said he had become a huge fan of Twenty20 since his international retirement.
Somerset's progression means they'll face South Africa's Diamond Eagles tonight and the formidable NSW side on Sunday.

It also means the team's prize money jumps from 100,000 dollars to 200,000 dollars - and will soar to 500,000 dollars for a semi-final berth.

The financial implications of this tournament are, Langer admitted, enormous for ''all of us''. (ANI)

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