It’s patently clear that with Paine as Test captain, the dynamic with Langer was similar to that of Allan Border and Bob Simpson, where the coach was a major decision-making figure. But when Mark Taylor replaced Border in 1994, Simpson first saw his role reduced – after the board consulted the senior players Taylor, Steve Waugh, David Boon and Ian Healy – and then concluded in 1996. His replacement, the amiable Geoff Marsh, was a much less dominant figure.
“I’d been thinking about who I would like ideally as a coach,” Taylor revealed some years later. “And it was someone who would keep the side lively, keep the drills interesting. But in terms of the tactics, I didn’t think I needed a Bob Simpson-style coach. I had Waughs, Warne, Healy; some very smart cricketers. We didn’t need too much extra.”