Justin Langer is in talks for a shock comeback to coaching in the Big Bash

Justin Langer is in promising talks with the Hobart Hurricanes about a surprise coaching comeback in the Big Bash. Nearly two months after resigning from his post as Australian coach, Langer has been inundated with interest in his services. It is understood informal discussions have taken place between Langer’s camp and the Hurricanes and there is mutual interest, although a decision on the new Hobart coach is yet to be finalised and nothing is over the line. Cricket Tasmania is prioritising the announcement of a new state coach before turning its attention to the vacant Hurricanes position – but it’s understood there is a feeling in Tasmania that Langer would be the ideal candidate to turn the struggling Hobart BBL franchise around. Langer has an outstanding record in Twenty20 cricket – as a World Cup winning coach and also a three-time-BBL winning mentor at the Perth Scorchers. Having Langer injected back into the Big Bash would be an enormous boost for the competition itself. Langer’s passion, profile and pedigree would help the league in its bid to revitalise the BBL. It would be a shock to see Langer bobbing up at a state outside Western Australia, but with Adam Voges entrenched as coach of the Warriors and Scorchers, BBL opportunities lay elsewhere. Getting back into BBL coaching may suit Langer as well, because it could give him the flexibility to pursue other franchise coaching positions around the world or broadcast opportunities if he saw fit – as well as being able to spend more time at home with family after four years coaching Australia. Sri Lankan cricket have reportedly made a play for Langer to take over as their national coach, while the Ashes-winning coach has also been heavily linked to jumping the divide to the vacant England position. The Hurricanes have been a middling franchise in the BBL in recent years and could do with a figure like Langer to come in and straighten the ship following the departure of Adam Griffith. Hobart has never finished higher than semi-finalists in the 11 years the Big Bash has been running.