Australia You Little* Beauty: Inside Test Cricket's Dream Team

by Justin Langer

Justin Langer scored more centuries than Ian Chappell, Doug Walters, or Bill Lawry and had a better average than Mark Taylor, David Boon, or Mark Waugh yet lived almost every moment of his glittering Test career as if it was his last. In this intimate and at times poignant account, Langer looks back on the team, locker room antics, and onfield triumphs which made up his 105-Test innings as a member of one of the game's greatest teams. Peer behind the scenes to relive the night they soaked the English locker rooms at Lords in beer, the midnight frolic around the SCG in their underpants and baggy green caps, and the Caribbean dinner which cost the Australian Cricket Board $16,000. What was it like to face the barrage of the West Indies and Pakistan attacks at their peak, who was the best bowler he ever faced, and why did an Adelaide pool table help Shane Warne hone his flipper. It's a journey from the world's great cricket grounds to the poorest areas of the sub-continent, Africa, and the West Indies, and the luxuries of a feted sporting champion to the day Matthew Hayden arrived in India with a gas stove in his cricket bag. Learn how meditation and martial arts helped him battle his chronic fear of failure and read first-hand snippets from childhood sweetheart Sue Langer who shines a unique light on life as a cricketer's wife.

280 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Vin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are autobiographies better or worse than biographies when it comes to elite sports people? Langer provides ample evidence of his doggedness, resilience and dedication to giving 100% in all contests. Would a biographer have placed this narrative in a broader context? Probably. Yet, there is enough self-belief and commitment on display to indicate why Langer was a popular choice as current Test cricket coach. The role of coach requires more appreciation of ambiguity and human nature than simply batting and fielding, so it will be fascinating to see what kind of future book will be written by Langer or an independent biographer on his time as coach.