Langer snubbed as fellow Aussie named as shock England candidate - Nine.com.au

Updated July 22, 2026 - 9.16pm . First published July 18, 2026 - 1.24am

Former Australian batter Justin Langer has seemingly been snubbed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the head coaching job of the men’s Test team.

Reports out of the UK over the weekend suggested the 55-year-old Aussie great was a leading contender to replace Brendon McCullum , who was sacked from the role earlier this month .

Former Australian Test opener Justin Langer. Getty

Now, The Telegraph reports Langer has been overlooked and was not on a shortlist of candidates called in for interviews with ECB hierarchy this week.

The UK outlet reports Richard Dawson and Jonathan Trott have firmed as leading contenders, while the same story also names another former Australian player - Tom Moody - as an outside chance.

Moody played eight Tests and 76 one-day internationals for Australia and has since made a name for himself as a coach around the world, including with Sri Lanka and more recently in the Indian Premier League.

Langer had only just been pushed out of the Australian coaching job when the England gig was last available in 2022. He scoffed at reports he was in the running that time.

“I’ve never spoken to English cricket,” he said at the time as he addressed a conference in Western Australia.

“The thought of coaching England … mate!”

Langer took the reins of Australia’s men’s team following the ugly 2018 Cape Town sandpaper scandal, after which Darren Lehmann quit as coach.

He coached the team for several years until rumours of player discontent began to swirl, and Langer has been accused of having an intense and sometimes intimidating approach which allegedly wore thin on an experienced playing group.

As a player, Langer scored 1658 runs at 50.24 from 21 Ashes Tests. He scored five hundreds with a best of 250 on Boxing Day in 2002.

In The Telegraph, cricket writer Nick Hoult declared a Langer-led England would be “unimaginable” in theory, but his “rigour and exacting standards” could be what the side needed.

And for Langer personally, leading England to an Ashes victory would be “revenge” on Cricket Australia for forcing him out of a job he did not want to leave.

Langer coaches the London Spirit in The Hundred in England. Getty

“Although Langer was sometimes seen as too intense with Australia, these qualities could be better served helping a team at England’s stage of their development; he might even have softened a little, too,” Hoult wrote.

Former New Zealand quick Stephen Fleming is also reportedly among the other frontrunners.

The 53-year-old told the New Zealand Herald he had not been approached by the ECB, by was “quite humbled” to be linked to the job.

“I’d 100 per cent give it some consideration, just out of respect. If another country thought you could add some value, it’s quite a compliment,” he said.

Australia plays an Ashes series in England next year, and also hosts the old foe in an anniversary Test match Down Under earlier in 2027.

Former batter has seemingly been snubbed by the for the head coaching job of the men’s team.

Reports out of the UK over the weekend suggested the 55-year-old Aussie great was a leading contender to replace , who was .

Langer when the England gig was last available in 2022. He scoffed at reports that time.

As a player, Langer scored 1658 runs at 50.24 from 21 Tests. He scored five hundreds with a best of 250 on Boxing Day in 2002.

And for Langer personally, leading England to an Ashes victory would be “revenge” on for forcing him out of a job he did not want to leave.

Former quick Stephen Fleming is also reportedly among the other frontrunners.