Langer eventually retired in grand fashion after helping Australia reclaim the Ashes on home soil, but the dream finale almost wasn’t to be when a concussed Langer had to be taken to hospital after copping a Makhaya Ntini bouncer during the 2006 Johannesburg Test.

“In my 100th Test match, I got knocked out – first ball – by Ntini,” Langer recalled. “I was tossing up whether to retire or not. My old batting coach – I got back to Perth after that series – and I was like the old boxer, trying to throw in the towel. He goes, ‘Time to retire, mate. It’s time to retire.’

“I said, ‘You want me to play T20 cricket? Sure you haven’t got me mixed up with [Sanath] Jayasuriya or Chris Gayle or someone?’. He said, ‘No, no, we want you to play T20 cricket.’ I nearly fell off my seat!”

The move sparked fresh life into Langer’s ageing career, and a three-year association with the club. He smashed 342 in a county game to create a new Somerset record, and carried the form into his final Test series, garnering 303 runs at 43.28 to help Australia complete a 5-0 drubbing.