Sharing the field with two of the game's greatest

It was at a World Cup, probably one of the more entertaining World Cups for both players and fans considering its location in the Caribbean, but location isn’t the reason Langford-Smith, now 36, looks back on the West Indies World Cup and smiles.

In April, 2007, the burly fast bowler had the privilege of playing now retired Australian batsman Mike Hussey, a man Langford-Smith says will soon become “irreplaceable” in the Australian first XI.

“He is a champion cricketer and a gentleman of a bloke,” Langford-Smith said.

“The two that stand out for me are Hussey and Adam Gilchrist. 

“Both he and Hussey were just a pleasure to play, a real pleasure to share the same field with.”

In that game, a Super Eights fixture in the 2007 International Cricket Council World Cup, Gilchrist took to Langford-Smith a little more than the man they call Mr Cricket managed.

“Hussey hit me for ones and twos. Unfortunately, Gilly gave me a bit of stick,” he laughed.

Hussey played his last Test match for Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground last week, helping the Aussies to a five-wicket win.

He hit 6235 Test runs and 5442 One-Day International runs.

In both forms of the game, Hussey will be missed.

“I would say in the next two or three years, we’ll end up labelling Hussey irreplaceable,” Langford-Smith said.

“I just can’t see anyone walking into the side and being as consistent as he was. 

“You’ve also got to take into account his fielding. He was outstanding in the field.”

Langford-Smith is still running around in the Sawtell cricket competition, taking 20 wickets at an average of seven to top the competition’s bowlers so far this summer.

He isn’t the only Langford-Smith sad to see Hussey go either.

“I know my wife (Maebh) was extremely excited about sharing a toaster one morning with him at the breakfast table,” he said.

“She just said how much of a lovely guy he was. 

“Unfortunately, I think Australia will miss him more than he’ll miss the cricket. He has four young kids. I reckon the guy deserves a good break.”