"Gutless": Mitchell Johnson Takes Aim At Pat Cummins After Justin Langer's Exit

Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Test skipper Pat Cummins after Justin Langer resigned as the head 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. "Pat Cummins has been lauded as some type of cricketing saint since his elevation to the top job this summer. Cummins might have delivered with the ball during the Ashes series, but he has failed his first big test as captain pretty miserably," Johnson wrote in a column for The West Australian, as reported by Fox Sports.

"He had plenty of public opportunities to endorse an extension for Langer. So when he let it through to the keeper every time, it became pretty obvious he didn't want it to happen. Cummins holds a lot of power and must have been central to what's happened. He's clearly had an agenda to get in a coach he wants. His recent interviews have been gutless by not respecting his coach when he could have been upfront from the start," he added.

Earlier this week, Cummins had said that Cricket Australia opted for a good review system and it was not up to the players to decide whether Langer should continue as a coach or not.

"The baggy green is hyped as the most revered symbol in Australian sport. But what does it stand for now? In the wake of the disgraceful white-anting of Langer as a coach, which led to his resignation on Saturday, it stands for selfishness," said Johnson.

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 men's team coach in 2018 after the Sandpaper Gate which saw David Warner, Steve Smith serving out one-year bans. Under Langer, Australia managed to win the T20 World Cup 2021 and then the Ashes.

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia Cricket Team Mitchell Johnson Pat Cummins Justin Langer Steven Smith Cricket