Ian Chappell blasts 'Justin Langer PR Machine' following his ouster as head coach

While many former cricketers have blasted Cricket Australia (CA) for the way they handled Justin Langer's ouster as head coach, Ian Chappell has hit back at Langer's 'PR machine' following a tough week for Australian cricket.

Langer was offered a short-term extension, giving him an opportunity to defend the T20 World Cup at home, but the former opening batter declined. Many former players have blasted Pat Cummins for not publically endorsing Langer, further adding speculation of a rift between Langer and the players.

"It's easy to lambast Cricket Australia because they are not very good, and it was only to be expected, their reaction," Chappell told Wide World of Sports.

"But what annoys me is two things – the fact Pat Cummins, who has probably been as honest as you can be in this sort of thing, that he's copped a bit of a pasting… and the Justin Langer PR machine has been at work, and in a lot of cases that's been believed.

"They (former players) are going to do what they're going to do, that is entirely up to them."

Chappell further added that Cummins should indeed have a say as to who coaches the Australian side.

"To me, the important thing is Cricket Australia have got to ask two questions when they appoint a new captain… firstly say to him 'do you want a coach?', and in every case nowadays people will say yeah they want a coach. In that case ask 'OK, who do you want?'" Chappell said.

"And within reason, I think the captain has got to get the coach that he gets on with and works well with.

"I just don't understand why a captain isn't going to have any input into the coach. Why, for instance, do you appoint a new captain and then he's got to have the previous coach? He doesn't get any say in it, well that's bollocks in my opinion.

"Pat Cummins will know a lot more about cricket than the (administrators) at Cricket Australia on the board. Pat Cummins would know more about cricket than most."

Langer's assistant Andrew McDonald will take interim charge of the side for the T20I series against Sri Lanka and the tour of Pakistan.