Justin Langer will feel players 'stabbing him in the back,' says Usman Khawaja as he backs the Australian coach

Australia's Usman Khawaja believes Justin Langer "deserves the opportunity" to coach the Australia cricket team in the T20 World Cup and also in the Ashes. 

After several media reports suggested that players have wearied of his intense coaching style, putting the coach's position under greater scrutiny. 

"He deserves the opportunity to coach Australia in the T20 World Cup, he deserves the opportunity to coach Australia in the Ashes," Queensland captain Khawaja said on his YouTube channel.

"If after all that, things are still not going well ... that is when you look at things and think 'OK, maybe do we need to change something?'"

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Khawaja also highlighted the impact of ongoing controversy on Langer as he might feel that the players are "stabbing him in the back". 

"How do you think JL feels? He probably feels like the guys in the team are stabbing him in the back and that's what it looks like and that's why it's so disappointing," Khawaja added.

"It's actually a really bad look. This is something the group needs to sort out ASAP.

"It's not always the coaches. The guys aren't performing, the players need to take ownership at some stage. It's not one person so there needs to be some sort of perspective put around this.

"He [Langer] is a very passionate person. Loves Australian cricket, wants the best for everyone, wants to only succeed. He's driven by winning, driven by winning the right way and all the things he brought after sandpapergate were focused on those things. 

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Khawaja had a heated exchange with Langer during the 2018 tour of United Arab Emirates as captured in "The Test".

Media pundits have cast Khawaja as a victim of standing up to Langer, linking the UAE episode with the batsman's omission from the Australia team for the past two years.

Khawaja, who has a batting average above 40 from his 44 tests, said his relationship with Langer had nothing to with his non-selection. 

"My relationship with Justin Langer is really good. To be honest, I still talk to him, still text him here and there, and that's because we have a lot of respect for each other," he said. 

(with inputs from agencies)