"A sad day for Australian cricket" - Ricky Ponting slams CA for Justin Langer's resignation

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is clearly unhappy with Cricket Australia's (CA) "embarrassing" treatment of men's team head coach Justin Langer.

Ponting slammed CA for forcing Langer to resign despite the former Australia opener wanting to continue. Under Langer, Australia won their maiden T20 World Cup last year and won the 2021-22 Ashes 4-0 last month.

"It's been a really poor six months" - Ricky Ponting

Speaking to ABC Radio about Langer's resignation, Ponting said:

"It is a really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned and if you look back it's been a really poor six months with the way Cricket Australia have handled some of the better people in Australian cricket. Those being Justin Langer and Tim Paine (at the start of the summer). I think it's been almost embarrassing the way they handled those two cases."

Ponting was expecting skipper Pat Cummins to openly back Langer during this tumultuous period but expressed his understanding of the skipper's situation at this juncture. Ponting also said a very small group of players and other support staff who were growing tired of Langer's intense coaching style might be the reason behind his resignation.

"That's been enough to force a man that has put his life and heart and soul into Australian cricket. And (someone who has) done a sensational job of turning around the culture and the way the Australian cricket team has been looked at over the past three or four years. I think it's a really sad day as far as Australian cricket is concerned," Ponting stated.

While Andrew McDonald has been appointed as the interim head coach, several candidates, including former coach John Buchanan, are in line to succeed Langer.