Langer takes break as McDonald to lead Australia on India tour

Sydney: Australia coach Justin Langer is taking a break and will not travel to India, where his senior assistant Andrew McDonald will lead the side in the three-match series ODI series, starting January 14.

The 38-year-old McDonald will be in charge of the national men’s side for the first time and Langer is confident the former medium pacer will excel in his new role.

“I said to him this morning, ‘we’re not reinventing the wheel’. He’s got a really good opportunity,” Langer was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m so confident in our coaching staff now with the cricket side of things. A lot of the time now I think about the cricket 30 percent of the time, the rest of the time all the other stuff that goes with it: the bigger picture, the cultural stuff,” Langer added.

After completing a 3-0 home Test series sweep over New Zealand, Australia is slated to travel to India for a three-match ODI series starting with a match in Mumbai.

“He’s an excellent coach, we’ve got other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won’t ring him, I’ll let him go. He said ‘I might ring you’, that’s the difference. He’ll do a really good job,” Langer said.