While international cricket resumed with the England-West Indies Test series earlier this month, Australian cricket continues to be on hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But off the field, while in isolation, former and current Australian cricketers continue to bring interesting anecdotes to the fans.

Recently, former Australia opener Justin Langer recalled how he once grabbed Adam Gilchrist ‘by the neck’ and ‘chucked him towards the wall’.

The story was from the 2001 Ashes series in England, where Langer was set to be the No. 3 batsman but with Damien Martyn showing great form in the ODIs, the southpaw was axed from the first Test, which left him emotional.

Speaking to ex-Aussie all-rounder Shane Watson on Lessons Learnt with the Greats podcast, the current Australian coach revealed it was his hero Steve Waugh who delivered him the shocking news that he would not be playing the first Ashes Test.

“About two days before the first Test, I had a knock on the door from the legend Steve Waugh, who literally was my hero. [He] knocks on the door of my hotel room… walked into my room and says, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this mate, but you are not playing in the first Test.’ I didn’t know whether to cry on his shoulders or punch him out,” Langer was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.

“This is my hero and my big brother, telling me that I was out [of the first Test], and I was literally shocked, I just didn’t see it coming. Damien Martyn had been in such amazing form in the one-day series leading up to it and he was so good [that] they couldn’t ignore him, and I was the casualty from it,” he added.

“What happened next was … I was doing all the physical stuff that Aussie blokes do, but what I wasn’t doing, I had to let go of the emotional bit – ‘I’m 31 years old, it’s the end of the dream, I’m out, I’m gone.’ And so for the next six-seven-eight weeks, I was playing the practice games, and I was batting so bad because I was trying so hard,” he further recalled.

Waugh, himself, sustained an injury before the fourth Test which ruled him out of the contest. Langer said he saw it as an opportunity for him to be in the playing XI, but he performed poorly in the next two practice games against Sussex and was overlooked for the fourth Test.

Unfortunately, Langer vented out his frustration on Gilchrist.

“I remember at Sussex and I’m thinking, ‘This is my chance, come on, Tugga [Steve Waugh] is out, this is my chance.’ At Sussex, I remember the first innings, I batted with Gilly, and I nearly started crying at the crease because Gilly is smacking them all around the park. I can’t even hit the ball to the square,” the former left-handed batsman said.

“Then I’m like, ‘C’mon, if I’ll get some runs in the second innings, I’ll play the next Test.’ Then they are going back 10 minutes before stumps, and I was opening the batting… there’s nothing worse. And I’m like, ‘C’mon, just get through 10-15 minutes’, and I’m out for a duck. What happens next is I’m walking off at the Hove and I wanted the whole ground to open up and swallow me,” he added.

“Adam Gilchrist, he is one of my great friends, and who was the captain, I grabbed him by the neck and chucked him up against the wall, ‘Look what you blokes have done to me!’ and I got really upset,” he concluded.