Justin Langer steps down from national duties to become state coach; Law takes Australia job

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PERTH, Australia — Former test opener Justin Langer will leave his position as batting coach with the national cricket team to become head coach of Western Australia.

Cricket Australia announced later Wednesday that Queensland Sheffield Shield-winning skipper Stuart Law had been appointed Australia’s interim batting coach, replacing Langer for at least the next five tests — two more against South Africa and three against Sri Lanka.

Law played one test for Australia in 1994-95 — against Sri Lanka in Perth as a replacement for the injured Stephen Waugh — and also captained Queensland to its first five Sheffield Shield titles, starting with a victory in 1994-95 that broke a 68-year drought.

He had coaching stints in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before returning to Brisbane this year to take the head coaching role at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

Langer, meanwhile, inherits a Western Australia squad which has lost its first three matches in the Sheffield Shield domestic first-class season. Captain Marcus North was replaced, coach Lachlan Stevens resigned and star batsman Shaun Marsh was left out of the Shield and one-day teams.

Langer, who played 118 first-class matches in 17 seasons for the state team, says he hopes to “bring cricket back to life in Western Australia.”

Langer played 105 test matches for Australia, scoring 7,696 runs at an average of 45.27 with 23 centuries and formed a prolific long-term opening partnership with Matthew Hayden. Langer retired after the 5-0 Ashes win over England in the 2006-07 season.

01:24ET 14-11-12