Mitchell Johnson slams ‘gutless’ Pat Cummins for failing to endorse Langer

In one of the most explosive rants in recent times, former Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson has publicly slammed Pat Cummins for failing to endorse Justin Langer, and has called the Australian skipper ‘gutless’ for not lending his support to the T20 World Cup and Ashes-winning coach.

Langer, on Saturday, parted ways with the Australian national team after rejecting a very short contract extension that he was offered by the board. The Western Australian wanted a long-term deal, but Cricket Australia (CA) offered a six-month extension following the feedback they received from the players, who are believed to have been largely unhappy with the 51-year-old’s style of management. 

In an explosive column for ‘The West Australian’, Johnson has torn into Cummins for having an apparent ‘agenda’ against Langer.

“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 forThe West Australian, reported news.com.au.

“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.”

The former fast bowler has further slammed the ‘disgraceful white-anting of Langer as coach’, and claimed that the Langer incident proves that the Baggy Green currently stands for ‘selfishness’.

“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 coach, which led to his resignation on Saturday, it stands for selfishness,” he wrote.

Johnson is among one of several former players who have come out and spoken in favour of Langer, with Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden being other notable figures.