New Delhi, July 18 — Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has backed his compatriot Justin Langer to clinch the vacant position of England's men's Test head coach, while revealing that he himself has not been approached for the high-profile job.
The England Test coaching role fell vacant following the sacking of Brendon McCullum last week. Former England coach Andy Flower has already ruled out a return to the post due to his franchise commitments with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and London Spirit in The Hundred.
All of this makes Langer the apparent frontrunner to get the top job. Lehmann, who currently coaches Northamptonshire in the English county circuit, presided over Australia's 5-0 Ashes whitewash win in 2013-14 before stepping down in 2018.
Asked whether he would consider crossing the Ashes divide to coach England, Lehmann told Sky Sports, "I'm very happy coaching Northants and I haven't had any phone calls. You'd certainly listen to it. I'm sure there are so many applicants."
He also felt that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might already have a replacement lined up. "My feeling is they've already made up their mind. If you remove someone mid-summer, you've got somebody in mind," Lehmann said.
Langer had succeeded Lehmann as the Australian coach in 2018. Under his guidance, Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2019 after a drawn series, and later secured a comprehensive 4-0 triumph at home in 2021/22. However, Langer resigned in February 2022 amid reports of a fallout with senior players.
Endorsing Langer for the role, Lehmann said, "If he (Langer) were to go for it, he'd be a really good coach. Whoever takes it on they've got some really talented players. I see some good players in the county system."
If given the role, Langer faces a scheduling conflict – he’s currently the head coach with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred. Taking up the top job will mean he will have to relinquish his franchise T20 cricket coaching roles.