Alex Carey has become the first current Test player to speak out on Justin Langer's resignation as head coach of the Australian cricket team.
Despite finishing with a T20 World Cup victory and an Ashes demolition job of England, Langer has been moved on by the Cricket Australia board.
They reportedly offered him a short contract to the end of the upcoming T20 World Cup on home soil, but he knocked it back, saying the team and board clearly wanted to go in a new direction.
While the silence from the players who reportedly forced him out, led by captain Pat Cummins, has been deafening, Alex Carey - who took over from former captain Tim Paine as wicket-keeper in the Test team ahead of the Ashes and has spent time in the white-ball teams during Langer's tenure, said he was surprised to see Langer go.
“I don’t think so. Everyone respects the man highly - he’s obviously an Australian cricket legend,” Carey told Seven News.
“I’m a little bit surprised but it’s now about the stability of the team and trying to win games moving forward.”
Carey was this morning picked in Australia's 15-man Test squad to tour Pakistan, however, with indifferent form across the Ashes series, his spot isn't secure given backup wicket-keeper Josh Inglis has also been selected to make the trip for Australia's first tour to Pakistan in 24 years.
Australia have won just 15 of their last 71 Tests on the sub-continent, and only 9 out of their last 55 against India and Pakistan.
