EXCLUSIVE: Australian cricket coach Justin Langer labels Steve Smith and David Warner Ashes abuse worst he’s experienced

Australian cricket coach Justin Langer has laid bare the sickening abuse levelled at stars Steve Smith and David Warner during last year’s Ashes series in England, labelling it the most vile he had experienced. Langer said the constant verballing by the English public made him want to “fight every day” as he detailed the daily confrontations that even had the abusers regularly lining up outside the Australian team’s bus. But in an ironic twist, Langer said the brutal taunting had prepared Smith and Warner for more abuse when they start a short series in South Africa on Friday. It was in that country in March two years ago that the pair were embroiled in the ball-tampering scandal that ultimately resulted in them being banned from the game for a year. “The way we’ve prepared ourselves for South Africa is we went to England for five months,” Langer said bluntly. “I’ve never seen abuse like it and the booing was only two out of 10. “The abuse from the people in the crowd — and some of the things they said — was absolutely disgusting. “We’d go from the change room to the coach at the end of a day’s play and they’d be lining up in hoards. “Some of the things they were saying, you had never heard and it was so disgraceful. “It was all about the cheating, the disgrace we were, the convicts stuff ... they were chanting, ‘Cheat, cheat, cheat, cheat’. “They were abusing Smith and Warner for crying on the TV and crying in public. “I always waited for the boys to get on the bus and I wanted to fight every day. “I said to our security that they had to get it under control or it was going to turn into an all-out brawl every day.” Langer, named this week as Coach of the Year at The West Australian RAC Sports Star of the Year Awards, said the abuse had become so overwhelming that at one point he confronted a middle-aged woman to ask her if she had children. The former Australian Test opening batsman said he had no doubt more sledging would come during the first tour to South Africa since the ball-tampering scandal. “I don’t get emotional very often in front of the players but when we did our values session when we first got back from England, I got quite emotional,” Langer said. “I said, ‘The thing I’m most proud of is not retaining the Ashes or making the semifinal of the World Cup but the way you guys handled yourselves. “If you can get through the level of abuse you got for five months and kept smiling and sticking together ... I’m so proud of you’. “I remember I got knocked out first ball in my 100th Test in Johannesburg and they were spitting at me and abusing me as I walked off in gaga land. We’ll get it again over there but we’ll be ready for it.” Langer said he had unashamed affection for the polarising Warner, who this week won the Allan Border Medal as Australia’s best cricketer for the past year. He believed Warner’s successful return was testament to the hours of dedicated work he had done to reintegrate himself back into the team. “His speech was magnificent and full of humility,” Langer said. “The environment we’ve created about having not only good cricketers but good people, hopefully that’s another indication that it’s starting to rub off. I love him, I reckon he’s a beauty and I’m so proud of him.“You show him a bit of respect and love and he’s rewarding us back.”