IPL: Justin Langer appointed as head coach of Lucknow Super Giants; doubt over Gautam Gambhir's future

Lucknow, Jul 14: Former Australia opener and ex-head coach Justin Langer has been appointed the head coach of IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (July 13). Langer will be replacing Andy Flower as the franchise's boss.

Langer - taking over the reins of the Lucknow-based franchise - casts doubt over the future of team mentor Gautam Gambhir. He was named Australia coach in the wake of the infamous 2018 ball-tampering incident during the Cape Town Test against South Africa.

"Lucknow Super Giants have appointed legendary former Australian cricket team coach and batsman Justin Langer as their team head coach. As the two-year contract of Andy Flower comes to an end, Lucknow Supergiants thanks Andy Flower for his contribution," LSG said in a statement.

Langer, who had formed a potent opening combination with Matthew Hayden in Test cricket, was appointed as the coach of the Australian team in May 2018. During his tenure, Australia beat England 4-0 in the Ashes series. And in 2021, under his charge, Australia also won the T20 World Cup for the first time.

Apart from this, Perth Scorchers also won the Big Bash title three times under the guidance of Langer. The southpaw had rejected Cricket Australia's short-term contract offer after guiding the team to an Ashes win at home in 2021-2022.

Langer had claimed he did not have the full support of the players and board and therefore decided against extending his tenure as the head coach.

On joining LSG as head coach, Langer said, "Lucknow Super Giants are on the journey of building a great story in the IPL. We all have a role to play in that journey and I am excited to be a part of the team moving forward."

Lucknow Super Giants made it to the IPL playoffs for the second consecutive year. While ensuing Flower's departure, the move also cast doubts over Gambhir's future in the franchise. Gambhir joined the team as its mentor in the 2022 season.

(With PTI inputs)