Smitha's Justin Langer Page

ENCOUNTERS WITH JUSTIN

Read the encounters people have had with Steve, whether it is a long lasting encounter or one of a few seconds with a fleeting smile and handshake. If you have some encounters of your own to write, please Mail them to me, along with a photo, if possible.

My encounters with Justin during the Chennai Test match - March 18th - 22nd and the two days after that while he stayed back before leaving for home.

Robert's Encounter with Justin at Lords

In April in 1999 I was visiting friends in London and I always wanted to go to Lords and take a guide tour around this wonderful ground. After about 1 hour in to the tour the group I was in was heading up to the visitors dressing rooms. On the way down from the dressing room was a Australian cricket player called Justin Langer.

Justin had just finished the tour of the West Indies and had just started playing county cricket for
Middlesex (Lords is the home ground for Middlesex). As the group of 30 people (or
more) was walking up the stairs. Everyone one saying hello to Justin and he nicely replied back by saying hello back and a warm smile to go with it.

We had a look around the dressing room and the balcony were the winners (The
Australian team) of the World Cup was going to receive the World Cup for the One Day game (The English tour guide said Australia did not have a chance of winning the World Cup...). The group was told when were get to bottom of the stairs it was going to be the end of the tour. We all got to the bottom of the stairs and there was Justin Langer playing ball with his Daughter on a nice grass area.

Some of the people came over to him and asked for his autograph and he was more than happy to sign anything for them. Well a couple from South Australia and myself went over and asked if we could take some photo with him and he did not have one problem with that. After the photos I was think he is being nice so just walk away and leave him alone. Then Justin asked the 3 of us that we thought of the tour around Lords. We told him and he then asked us some questions about what else have we seen here in London and what did we think of those places.

We must have been talking to Justin for at least 20 minutes. I had sent 6 weeks in Europe and London and I can honestly say that 20 minutes that Justin gave to me and the 2 other people for South Australia was the best time I had on that trip. After the photos he could have turned his back and kept playing with his daughter but he was a true Gentleman and you could see he was a wonderful Father also.

I live in New South Wales and I can honestly say Justin Langer is my number 1 cricket player (followed very closely by Steve Waugh) and I would like to wish him and his family all the best in the future and thanks again Justin