MELBOURNE: Former opener and head coach of the senior men’s side, Justin Langer has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame alongside Raelee Thompson, one of the pioneers of the women’s game in the country.
During his successful career as a player, Langer had formed a formidable pairing with Matthew Hayden in Test cricket, playing a key role in Australia’s dominance in the early and mid 2000s.
Former fast bowler Thompson, 76, captained the Australian team on four occasions.
Thompson and Langer become the 58th and 59th inductees respectively, since the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame was established in 1996.
Langer took up coaching after his retirement from international cricket and following successful stints at Western Australian and Perth Scorchers, Langer was appointed coach of the Australian men’s cricket team in May 2018, and led them to the ICC 2021 T20 World Cup title and helped the team retain the Ashes in 2019 and 2021-2022.
“Justin’s contribution to Australian cricket spans across four separate decades,” Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Chairman Peter King said.
“First as a player, as part of one of the most successful teams that world cricket has ever seen. As a coach, he entered the role at a time of great need and leads the Australian Men’s Cricket Team with great distinction, a team which the Australian public is very proud of.”
The duo of Langer and Hyaden amassed 6,081 runs together from 122 Test innings at an average of 51.53, including 14 century partnerships.
The gritty Langer made his Test debut against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval in 1993 with a gritty 54, an innings during which he was hit on the helmet by an Ian Bishop delivery.
The 51-year-old Langer finished his career with 7696 runs at an average of 45.27.
He also played in eight One Day Internationals in a career spanning 18 years and played first-class cricket for Western Australia, Middlesex and Somerset, scoring 28,382 runs at an average of 50.23.
—PTI

Press Trust of India