Australia’s Men’s & Women’s squads announced
While the news is leaking of new cracks emerging between Australian cricket coach Justin Langer and his players, Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley has publicly backed the head coach.
“Justin (Langer) has done an incredible job in raising the culture, values and behaviours of the Australian men’s team since he took on the role in 2018. His efforts have restored public faith in the national team which is a side all Australian’s can be incredibly proud of”, Nick Hockley said.
“He is contracted as Head Coach through to the middle of next year with the focus now on a successful T20 World Cup campaign followed by the home Ashes defence in what is one of the most anticipated Series and summers of cricket in Australia for many years.
“Like many in the community and around the world the team has had an extremely disruptive and challenging 18 months during the pandemic. Despite those challenges the side has had great success in One-Day, Test and T20 cricket, when all players were available.
“Justin, his coaching staff and the leaders within the team have an equally important part to play in ensuring a successful summer ahead for the Australian cricket team.”
That prompted Langer’s old opening partner Matthew Hayden to point to the under-performance of Australia’s cricketers in recent games.
With the differences out in the open, the players, after Cricket Australia’s statement, seem to be rallying around their coach. Some players feel it is “much ado about nothing” and the differences have been buried to move forward and perform.
Speaking on SEN, Australian Test captain Tim Paine said the team has now “galvanised” around Justin Langer.
“It was important that myself, Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins and the leaders of Australian cricket got around him, discussed things that needed to be discussed, and then got around him and supported him and looked to move forward,” he said.
“We haven’t lived up to our own standards on the field, we haven’t won enough games of cricket and that’s pretty much put us all under pressure.”
Cricket Australia has announced their squads for the upcoming Men’s ICC T20 World Cup as wells Women’s series against India.
Australian Men’s Squad for ICC T20
Aaron Finch (c) (Victoria)
Ashton Agar (Western Australia)
Pat Cummins (vc) (New South Wales)
Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales)
Josh Inglis (Western Australia)
Mitchell Marsh (Western Australia)
Glenn Maxwell (Victoria)
Kane Richardson (South Australia)
Steve Smith (New South Wales)
Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)
Marcus Stoinis (Western Australia)
Mitchell Swepson (Queensland)
Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
David Warner (New South Wales)
Adam Zampa (New South Wales)
Travelling reserves: Dan Christian (New South Wales), Nathan Ellis (Tasmania), Daniel Sams (New South Wales).
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Australian Women’s Squad to face India
Meg Lanning (Captain, Victoria)
Rachael Haynes (Vice-Captain, New South Wales)
Darcie Brown (South Australia)
Maitlan Brown (New South Wales)
Stella Campbell (New South Wales)
Nicola Carey (Tasmania)
Hannah Darlington (New South Wales)
Ashleigh Gardner (New South Wales)
Alyssa Healy (New South Wales)
Tahlia McGrath (South Australia)
Sophie Molineux (Victoria)
Beth Mooney (Queensland)
Ellyse Perry (Victoria)
Georgia Redmayne (Queensland)
Molly Strano (Tasmania)
Annabel Sutherland (Victoria)
Tayla Vlaeminck (Victoria)
Georgia Wareham (Victoria)
Australia and India will battle it out across all three formats starting on 19 September, with the schedule including three One-Day Internationals, a historic day-night Test match at the WACA Ground and three Twenty20 Internationals.
Stella Campbell and Georgia Redmayne have been selected in their first Australian squad, while Maitlan Brown returns after an extended layoff with a hamstring injury.
Megan Schutt and Belinda Vakarewa requested not to be considered for selection due to personal reasons, while Jess Jonassen has been ruled out with a bone stress injury in her tibia.