Speculation Langer May Be Poised To Call Time
Sun Herald
Sunday December 31, 2006
AUSTRALIAN coach John Buchanan lauded Justin Langer as "the epitome of the baggy green cap" as whispers became roars that Langer would announce his retirement after this week's fifth Ashes Test at the SCG.
By doing so Langer would pull the pin on this country's most prolific opening partnership. Langer and Matthew Hayden, with 104 and 88 Tests respectively, have combined for 5575 runs at an average of 51.15 as one of the great combinations in Australia's 129-year Test history. But they are nearing the end of the road. "Justin is Mr Respect - that's what he's all about," Buchanan said of 36-year-old West Australian. "Respect for the game, respect for your teammates, respect for yourself. He's a tremendous character to have within the team with a set of values which he's admired for. He believes in all the traditions of the game and, really, in many ways, he's the epitome of the baggy green cap." Buchanan said that only Langer, who has been in hiding since Australia's victory in the Boxing Day Test, knew whether he would quit. Langer has previously stated his aversion to announcing retirement plans before his last Test because he would not like the fanfare. His father, Colin, told The Sun-Herald from Perth that his son was "not going to hang on for the sake of hanging on". "He's been privileged to play for his country for 104 Test matches," Colin Langer said. "The way he's gone about his career has been a thrill for his family - his mum and brothers and sisters and myself. When he and Adam Gilchrist won that Test against Pakistan in Hobart, that gave me a thrill. But the biggest highlight for me has been the way he's gone about his business as a cricketer. "To see the effort that's had to put in, the effort no one really sees. To see what he's done to try to get fit for this series, it's just been unbelievable - the physical effort, the time he spends with his batting coach. People don't see all that, but we do. "He's worked hard with the ability he had. When you look at blokes like Damien Martyn, for example, and Kim Hughes, who in my opinion had just a rare natural talent - Justin had talent but not the type of talent those guys had. "He's had to work so hard to get where he is." Australian bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have already announced the SCG Test will be their last but it's becoming increasingly likely that Langer and Hayden will also be combining for the final time. In all of Test cricket since 1877, only the legendary West Indian duo of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes made more runs than Langer and Hayden: 6482. But they played together for 13 years while Langer and Hayden joined forces permanently only in 2001. "Justin's record is outstanding," Buchanan said. "He may not have always been fashionable, and it's debatable how fashionable should be defined, but he deserves to be recognised as one of the best batsmen we have had."OUR TOP PARTNERSHIPS * Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden - 5575 runs at 51.15.* Mark Taylor and Michael Slater - 3887 runs at 51.14.* Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry - 3596 runs at 59.93.* Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor - 1980 runs at 44.* David Boon and Geoff Marsh - 1871 runs at 46.78.
© 2006 Sun Herald