“That’s the responsibility I’ve been given, and I take that really seriously. I think the reality is, with some of those comments, the Aussie cricket team is full of cricket players. That’s our job and in fairness, the 11 players, they’re the guys who are out there on the field, so absolutely I think it’s fair we get a say.”

He talked about a calm, composed and collaborative approach, not qualities that come naturally to Langer.

The reality is that most of the players and support staff didn’t want a possible volatile presence in the room, particularly during potentially difficult tours of Pakistan and India during the next 12 months.

When I congratulated a player after Australia’s tight victory in their low-scoring opening match of the T20 World Cup against South Africa in the UAE last October, the response was one of relief rather than joy.

“Thank god we won,” he said.

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“Why?”

The great fear was that if they had lost, plans would have been ripped up, and their campaign would have been sunk before it started.

“I’ve got a very harmonious change room, a clearly motivated group of people and that’s where my responsibility lies,” Cummins said on Wednesday.

Here’s to the future.