'Absolute horror': How Justin Langer's glittering Test career nearly ended before it began

Australian head coach Justin Langer forged a massively successful Test career in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, but it got off to a rough start.

Langer’s hopes were hanging by a thread in 1998, and the now-coach remembers the one moment everything was on the line.

By Justin Langer

In October 1998, I was given another chance against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi. This Australian side was so good you often only got a couple of Test innings to prove your worth.

On this occasion, I was aware of this as I walked out in the stiflingly hot conditions with us 1-11 in the seventh over.

In came Wasim Akram for my first ball and sent down a ball at 150 kilometres an hour that thudded into my right pad.

To my absolute horror the umpire’s finger went straight up. I was out for a golden duck.

'TERRIBLY SAD': Cricket rocked by sudden death of iconic star

As I shuffled away from the crease that gnawing self-doubt came flooding back: Maybe I wasn’t good enough to play for Australia.

Probably because we won by an innings in Rawalpindi I was retained for the Second Test in Peshawar. I knew, however, I was close to being banished forever.

At the Arbab Niaz Stadium I faced one of the game’s fastest bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar, for my first ball. It was hot and my heart was pounding.

‘Watch the ball, watch the ball’, I kept saying to myself, but I didn’t see it leave his hand before it struck me in the middle of my pad.

It was plumb. I must be out.

The umpire Steve Bucknor was facing me, and he took an eternity to make a decision.

I will never forget staring at him, I have never felt so scared. It felt like someone was holding my head under water. I knew another golden duck would spell the end.

Bucknor held my career in his hands. He looked to his right and then to his left before stealing one last lingering look at my pads.

'LESS THAN CONVINCED': Handshake controversy erupts on Ashes eve

He looked up and said ‘not out’. I was still alive.

At that moment I realised only I had control of my destiny.

I didn’t want to spend the rest of my career playing shield and county cricket. I belonged in the Test arena.

I cut Akhtar’s next ball for four and didn’t look back as I made my way to 116.

Nearly six years after my debut, I had finally made my maiden Test century.

Read the full story at PlayersVoice.