Justin Langer, VC. If there was a medal for bravery in cricket, Justin Langer would get the equivalent of a Victoria Cross. In fact, I would give him an honorary AB Medal.
Baptised by the Bishop in his debut Test in 1993, he was the Little Aussie Digger in the trenches. He absorbed the heavy artillery of Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop, and was second last out as Australia lost by one run.
Langer emerged beaten but unbowed and surprisingly spent the next four years playing only 8 Tests.
He had a run of poor scores prior to the first Ashes Test of 2001, was replaced by Michael Slater and did not play the first four of that series.
Inexplicably, Slater was dropped for the fifth Test allowing Langer to return.
He retired hurt in his comeback Test on 102 after being felled by a Caddick bouncer. The Oval crowd rose as one and clapped the warrior off in a show of spontaneous warmth.
The Rocky Balboa of cricket, the pint sized Tae kwondo black belt, how he would have loved Buchanan’s tales of the Chinese general Sun Tzu.
Justin Langer reminds me of Lord Nelson. When Nelson had to have his arm amputated without anesthetics he implored the surgeon to heat the knives as the cold knives were more painful.
Langer scored all of his 23 hundreds in the ten years from 1998 to 2007. In the eight years from 2000-2007, not once did his Test average dip below 54.
In the third Test at the Wanderers in 2006 he was felled by a Ntini bouncer in the first innings and did not take any further part. However, on the final day, with Australia needing a handful with only two wickets remaining, he was padded up and ready for battle.
Thankfully Lee and Kasper saw Australia through.
Langer is only 38 and retired from International cricket. He still plays for Warne’s Rajasthan Royals and Middlesex.
The other day, he passed the Don’s First Class aggregate to become Australia’s highest run scorer, yet it is not the runs he scored but the bravery he accumulated them with.
He is unquestionably the Vice Chancellor in the University of Adversity. He is currently mentoring Philip Hughes and one hopes some of his warrior stardust sprinkles on the young man.
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