Justin Langer (R). -Photo by AFP

MELBOURNE: Former Test batsman Stuart Law will step in as interim batting coach for Australia after Justin Langer stepped down to take up the head coach position for his native Western Australia state.

Law, who played one test for Australia in 1995 and 54 one-day internationals from 1994-1999, would take the assistant coaching role for the next five tests, Cricket Australia’s (CA) performance manager Pat Howard told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Australia will play two more tests against South Africa after tying their first in Brisbane this week, before a three-test series against Sri Lanka.

Law had coaching stints with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before returning home to take up the head role at CA’s Centre of Excellence.

Langer was appointed head coach of Western Australia’s struggling Warriors and the Perth Scorchers.

Langer, who scored 7,696 runs in 105 Test matches and has served as batting coach with the Australian team for the past three years, said he was thrilled at the opportunity.

“I have two main objectives. The first is to bring cricket back to life in Western Australia, and the second is to help these boys become men on and off the cricket field,” said the 41-year-old.

“I was very fortunate to serve an apprenticeship with the Australian team and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get started on this new challenge at what promises to be an exciting time in WA cricket.”

The Warriors have made a disastrous start to the Sheffield Shield season, losing their first three games while the Scorchers failed to make the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20 competition in South Africa.

The Scorchers squad’s professionalism was then brought into question after a long drinking session to celebrate Mitch Marsh’s 21st birthday.

Since then, captain Marcus North has quit as skipper, coach Lachlan Stevens resigned and star batsman Shaun Marsh has been left out of the Shield and one-day teams.