Australia captain Pat Cummins has broken his silence following Justin Langer’s resignation, saying there was never any issue with the coach’s “intensity” but the side needed a “more collaborative” approach.
At a Wednesday press conference, Cummins told reporters that the team and support staff appreciated the ex-coach’s style but that they were looking to adopt a "calmer" approach.
He said: “I think the players benefit from a more collaborative approach. A big theme this summer was to be more calm, more composed. That’s been the feedback from the players, staff and Cricket Australia that that’s the direction we want to take the team.”
Cummins praised Langer for driving high standards, but said CA’s decision to accept Langer's resignation did not come as a “big surprise” to him after two years of evaluation.
In a statement issued an hour before he was due to address reporters on Langer’s exit, Cummins said he was “sticking up for my mates”.
The 28-year-old said: “There has been much public comment since Justin Langer’s resignation as the coach of the Australian cricket team. For good reason, I haven’t made public comment before today.
“To speak about a decision, which was yet to be made and which is for Cricket Australia to make, would have put Cricket Australia and the team in an impossible position.
“I’d never do that. I believe in respecting the sanctity of the change room and proper process.
“Now that a decision has been made by Justin to resign and given his own public comments and others by Cricket Australia, I can provide some clarity.
“Justin has acknowledged that his style was intense. And it was. He has apologised to players and staff for his intensity. I think the apology was unnecessary. Because the players were OK with JL’s intensity.
“It came from a good place – his fierce love of Australia and the baggy green – something which has served Australian cricket well for three decades.”
Ashes batting and bowling averages
Cummins’s statement came after former Australian cricketers including Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden criticised CA over the way Langer was treated when the team had just won a the T20 World Cup in UAE and thrashed England to retain the Ashes.
Cummins said Langer’s “intensity was not the issue" before adding: “We also have a duty to our mates. Many former players have reached out to me and silently offered me their advice which is welcome.
“Some others have spoken in the media – which is also welcome and comes from a love of the game and their support of a mate.
“To all past players, I want to say this: Just as you have always stuck up for your mates, I’m sticking up for mine.”
Meanwhile, CA announced Australia’s three-match T20 series against New Zealand in March was cancelled “due to New Zealand’s border controls and quarantine requirements”.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
