GarlicJam wrote:what's that in reference to, Sussex?
Judging this purely on my own interpretation (and not fact), I get the feeling Marcus Harris was Justin Langer's prodigy project at Western Australia back in 2012 when he first went there to coach. The two apparently go back a long way to when Harris was a little child playing at Langer's local club so knew each other for years. Harris never made the grade at Western Australia subject to large expectations, and decided to leave for a fresh start, and that seemed to put Langer's nose out of joint who seemed to take it personally. Langer ended up give Harris a parting shot when he found out about his departure, calling into question his performances quite brutally, and labelling Harris "mediocre". I guess some might say its a situation of a frustrated mentor trying to get some fire in his master pupil to prove him wrong, but the comments did seem to cut close to the bone.
Either way, Harris ended up having some monster year in Melbourne, got picked for the national team, and Langer was left having to explain away the selectors picking someone he had once disregarded as mediocre. Around the same time, the press got hold of the fact Langer had sent Harris a text message welcoming him to international cricket, but calling him a "little b*stard".
Langer then brushed it off saying he "loved him" and that he was like " a little brother".... so maybe the choice of words in the context is between two people who are extremely close and was meant with some warmth. But the whole history between them is more than a little bizarre. Its hard to know if Langer and him get on really well, or whether they have fallen out.
If Langer and him are still close, then innings like this might give Harris a path back to the side. If they have fallen out, I guess his career is over regardless of what he does.