Langer denies Australia mocked England's Leach in post match celebrations

SHOWS:

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 3, 2019) (BBC - NO USE UK)

1. AUSTRALIAN BATSMAN STEVE SMITH AT PRACTICE SESSION FOR THE FOURTH TEST AT OLD TRAFFORD

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. AUSTRALIAN CRICKET COACH JUSTIN LANGER AT NEWS CONFERENCE

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 8, 2019) (ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

3. TWO STILLS OF ENGLAND BOWLER JACK LEACH WEARING GLASSES DURING THE TEST MATCH

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN CRICKET COACH JUSTIN LANGER SAYING:

"Experience tells me that when you're doing well that people try to pick holes in you, and that's ok, that's life. I was there, I know the truth, they were talking about Chris Rogers who was here four years ago and that is actually the truth of it. Chris Rogers is a great mate of the squad."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE 2013) (ACTION IMAGES VIA REUTERS PICTURES - MUST COURTESY ACTION IMAGES)

5. STILL OF AUSTRALIAN PLAYER CHRIS ROGERS WEARING GLASSES IN A MATCH AGAINST ENGLAND

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN CRICKET COACH JUSTIN LANGER SAYING:

"That's what it was about. Anyway, people can make of it what they like, we can't do anything about what people make of it. I think everyone in this room, everyone around the world has seen the great spirit the World Cup and this series has been played in. There's been great spirit throughout and there's no way that...., like I say, people can make of it as they like, but that's the truth."

7. AUSTRALIAN NETS SESSION FOR THE FIFTH AND FINAL TEST AT THE OVAL

8. AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS PRACTICING

STORY: Australian coach Justin Langer on Tuesday (September 10) denied his star batsman Steve Smith mocked an England player during the celebrations of the tourists' victory in the fourth Ashes test.

Media reports said Smith donned a pair of glasses like those worn by England's bowler and tail-end batsman Jack Leach on Sunday (September 8) as Australia marked retaining the trophy by taking an insurmountable 2-1 lead in the five match series.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Leach had angered Australia's players who accused him of time wasting by polishing his glasses as England's final two batsmen narrowly failed to grind out at draw at Old Trafford.

A draw would have kept the Ashes series alive until the last match at the Oval on Thursday (September 12).

But Langer told the media Smith had been teasing former Australian batsman Chris Rogers, who sometimes wore glasses while playing.

(Production: Steve Hignett, Jim Hatley)