The mood in the English cricket camp has turned gloomy once again, and former Australian coach Justin Langer isn't holding back. After witnessing yet another batting collapse from the tourists, Justin Langer has raised serious concerns about what is happening behind the scenes in English cricket, questioning the very system that produces these players.
The 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide was supposed to be England's chance to fight back. After bowling Australia out for 371, Ben Stokes’ side had a real opportunity to take control. Instead, things fell apart. By the end of Day 2, England had crumbled to 213-8, trailing by 158 runs. With only two wickets left and the series on the line, the situation is dire. Big names like Joe Root and the openers fell cheaply, leaving the team staring at a humiliating series defeat.
Watching the carnage, Justin Langer pinpointed exactly what he thinks is going wrong. It isn't just bad luck; he believes it is a fundamental technical flaw.
"The observation from the last three Test matches is the lack of footwork from the England players. They're just not going anywhere," Langer said.
He explained that at the highest level, standing still at the crease is a death sentence for a batsman. "Frankly, against really good bowling, you're dead if you don't move your feet into position- front and back foot."
Justin Langer was particularly surprised to see even England's best player struggling with this basic skill. He pointed out that while Australian captain Pat Cummins bowled well, the lack of movement from the batsman was the real issue.
"Joe Root's a master, he's one of the all-time greats, and you see him, even today, Cummins has got him out twelve times in Test cricket- great length- but the lack of foot movement, if I was in the England camp, would be something that's really worrying me."
This led Langer to ask a bigger, more uncomfortable question about how English players are being developed before they even reach the national team. "That's why I ask the question about the England Lions as well. What's being coached? The fact that there's this lack of foot movement."
England has been famous recently for their "Bazball" style, an ultra-aggressive approach that tries to dominate bowlers. Justin Langer acknowledged the mindset but noted that attitude alone isn't enough to win the Ashes.
"England came here with the philosophy- as they have been for the last few years- they were going to be ultra aggressive," Langer said. "Awesome. That's how every great team and every great player plays."
However, Justin Langer warned that aggression without the skills to support it is useless. "But you must marry together good technique as well. You can't say I'm going to be really aggressive and throw your hands and have no footwork patterns," he added. "I've seen the attitude, but haven't seen the technique to back it up."
