Australia's limited-overs captain Aaron Finch expects to be consulted, along with Test captain Pat Cummins, by Cricket Australia on Justin Langer's coaching contract, but is unsure what the process will entail.
Langer's contract is the elephant in the room at CA at the moment, after the two parties mutually agreed to hold off discussions on the matter until after the Ashes. Langer's current contract is due to expire in June after Australia's tour of Pakistan in March and April.
"I think he's done a fantastic job," Finch said at the 2021 T20 World Cup launch on Friday. "I think whatever happens from the Cricket Australia side of things, that's out of our control as players, but his contract is up so no doubt there'll be some talk there and I know Patty [Cummins] and myself might be in contact or might be contacted about that.
"But I've actually got no idea. I've never really been in a leadership role when somebody's coaching contract is up. But he's done an unbelievable job and to see how good the environment has been throughout the T20 World Cup and then throughout the Ashes is a credit to everyone involved there."
The head coach has been left in limbo and is awaiting formal talks with CA, while former players such as Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne have all publicly asked why he has not yet been re-signed after winning the T20 World Cup and the Ashes 4-0 in a four-month period.
Langer said in an interview with SEN Radio on Wednesday that he was "not edgy" about his future. But he did admit in a second interview with 6PR Radio that he didn't know why his contract process had become so drawn out.
He also cautioned against having multiple coaches for multiple formats, something that has been mooted for Australia's men's teams moving forward. "There's a lot of talk about splitting it up," Langer told 6PR. "On the surface, it seems to be the way to go. But, look, I've been consistent with this for ten years when I was at the WACA as well with the [Perth] Scorchers and Western Australia, it's not as simple as that sounds.
"For example, we go to Pakistan in a few weeks' time for three Test matches, and then a few days later there's three ODIs and one T20I game. So if you just have a T20 coach, for example, is he going to fly in with a whole new support staff for one T20 game? It just doesn't seem to add up. I think there's certainly got to be someone overseeing it. There's also management of players, they play 12 months of the year. On the surface, it looks like a good idea but when you get into the logistics of it, it's not that simple. But it's certainly something which will be looked at."
Langer is currently in Tasmania as he was unable to fly home to Perth because of Western Australia's border restrictions. He was planning on returning home when the border was due to open on February 5, but WA premier Mark McGowan announced on Thursday night that WA's border would remain closed indefinitely, which has left every WA-based cricketer currently interstate unable to return to Perth without doing 14 days of isolation.
So Langer is unlikely to be able to return home until after the Pakistan tour.
Langer and Australia's selectors are set to convene over the coming days to pick Australia's T20I squad for the five-match series against Sri Lanka, and will undoubtedly discuss the Pakistan touring squad during the process as they look to manage the players playing all three formats.
Finch himself will enjoy a couple of days off prior to the Sri Lanka series after Melbourne Renegades failed to make the BBL finals. He scored back-to-back half-centuries in his last two BBL games but the knee injury that troubled him during the T20 World Cup and saw him miss the first part of the BBL has still not fully healed.
"It's been better," Finch said. "It's been worse as well. It's okay. I'll get through for a little while longer."