JUSTIN LANGER launched a smiling, quirky charm offensive but he knows some ingrained views will never change.
Australia’s new coach admitted: “Even if we say nice things, everyone is still going to think we’re a bunch of rough head Australians.
“That’s the way it’s going to be. We’ll go about our business really well and you guys and everyone else will still be calling us sledging Australians. It’s been happening for the last 30 years.
“We have our values and expectations. We can put the fanciest mission statements and posters on the wall and write things down but, if you don’t live them, they are like toilet paper, mate.”
Langer and new captain Tim Paine have the task of restoring Australia’s tattered reputation in the wake of the sandpaper scandal.
They insist the ugly abuse and deeply personal attacks that scarred their cricket for so long will be outlawed in a re-written team culture.
The Aussies say they haven’t gone soft – but Langer and Paine believe they must show integrity and respect to opponents.
But the sledging will continue because Langer says the word means something different Down Under. He tells how he even sledges his own family.
Langer explained: “In Australia, sledging is actually a good word. For example, if I play Uno – do you play Uno over here, the card game? – with my daughter, there’s lots of banter, sledging, but we don’t abuse each other.
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“And if I play golf with my mum and dad, we sort of sledge each other. Call it banter or sledging. Everyone talks about this word sledging but there’s a difference between banter and abuse. And abuse is no good.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re off the field or on it, there’s no room for abuse. There’s plenty of room for banter or what we call sledging. It’s a fun part of the game.”
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland announced yesterday that he will quit next year after almost two decades in the job.
Captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft were all banned for ball-tampering in Cape Town in March. Coach Darren Lehmann quit and CA head of integrity Iain Roy – who dished out the punishments – was fired.
The fall-out from sandpapergate has been astonishing and the Aussie players are sure to be mocked by English crowds during the five one-dayers and one Twenty20 match.
Even in the Test series against Pakistan, some fans wore Baggy Green caps in the stands and scratched balls with yellow abrasive.
Paine said: “We think it’s going to be pretty full on. We always expect to cop a bit of ribbing when we come to England and this time probably with a bit more reason. We’re looking forward to it, to be honest. It will add extra spice which will make it all the more memorable when we go home.
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“We won’t change from playing in a really competitive spirit. Justin has spoken about the difference between abuse and banter. Certainly, we’re not going to be silent on the field, you’ll hear us on the stump mic. We’re going to try to put pressure on opposition players as we normally do but there’s got to be a respectful element.
“There’s no doubt our reputation took a battering in South Africa. This is a great opportunity to show the cricket world we have made a few changes, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on a few things that had started to slip.”
Australia’s play a day/night warm-up match against Sussex on Thursday and the first international against England is at the Oval next Wednesday.
*FORMER captain Ricky Ponting, who was due in England as a TV commentator, will help the Aussies on their tour as a coaching consultant.
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