“Can’t Consider Yourself Great Coach If…”: Justin Langer On How LSG Owner Convinced Him To Join Franchise | Cricket News

Former Australia opening batter Justin Langer will begin his the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 following his appointment as head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Langer will change Andy Flower who has joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as head coach for the upcoming season. Under Flower, LSG reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons because the franchise joined the league in 2022. Meanwhile, Langer was the pinnacle coach of the Australian crew between 2018 and 2022, earlier than being changed by Andre McDonald.

During his tenure, Australia retained the Ashes on English soil after 18 years in 2019. Langer additionally led them to a maiden T20 World Cup title in 2021.

Ahead of the upcoming IPL season, Langer has revealed how LSG proprietor Sanjeev Goenka satisfied hin to take the coachin function. He additionally labelled Goenka somebody with nice gross sales man abilities.

“Well, it was so funny because I was here in Perth and I received a text message asking me if I had any interest in coaching in the IPL. It was from Vinay, telling me that the owner Sanjiv was in London at the same time and would I be interested in having a coffee with him. And I thought ‘Well, I have got nothing to lose’ and I went and met the boss,” stated Langer in an interview on LSG’s offical Twitter account.

Justin Langer talks Lucknow, IPL, KL Rahul and plenty extra in his first interview as LSG Head Coach! pic.twitter.com/boPtgANw8w

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) December 30, 2023

“From there, we had a very nice conversation. He is a really good sales man, the boss, because the last thing he said to me was ‘you know Justin, you have had a great playing career, you have had a very good coaching career until now. But, you can’t consider yourself a great coach until you have won the IPL. I was like ‘oh, good sales man skills. I like that boss, man’.

“We had some conversations after that. We proceed to have good conversations. I’m thrilled to be the pinnacle coach of this franchise,” Langer added.

LSG will also be without their mentor Gautam Gambhir who has joined KKR ahead of the new season.