Steve Waugh

Stephen Rodger Waugh (born June 2, 1965 in Canterbury, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and was the captain of the Australian Test cricket team from 1999 to 2004. He is the most experienced Test cricketer in history, making 168 appearances.

Career

Debut

Making his debut as an all-rounder complementing his batting with aggressive medium pace, Steve came into the Australian ODI and Test teams in the summer of 1985-86 (against New Zealand and India respectively), at one of the lowest ebbs the Australian team had reached with a succession of series losses. He proved crucial in both fields in Australia's surprise win in the 1987 World Cup. At the time, he was dubbed the 'Iceman' for his cool bowling at the death, helped along by a very effective 'back of the hand' slower ball which would force the batsmen to mistime the stroke. One other aspect of Waugh's bowling was that he could bowl yorkers and bouncers with the same action, a trait he shared with Wasim Akram and Abdul Razzaq.

His batting began to deliver on its promise when Australia regained the Ashes in 1989, with his first Test century finally arriving after a succession of scores in the nineties. However, a run of poor form led to his being dropped from the Australian side in 1991, to be replaced by his twin brother Mark Waugh.

Return from dropping

Returning to the team against the West Indies in 1992-93, Steve built a reputation throughout the 1990s as perhaps the most solid batsman in world cricket. Lacking the attacking flair of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, his reputation for strength of will saw him make many centuries for his team, often under pressure and batting with the tailenders. Like most Australian players, he has an array of strong off-side shots. His trademark shot against spin bowling is the "slog sweep" which he gradually developed later in his career (during the 1998 Commonwealth Games specifically) —theoretically technically unsound, it has proven highly effective against the spinners and even against faster bowlers at times. Waugh rarely played the "hook shot" and is therefore regarded as vulnerable to short-pitched bowling, a theory that has been widely tested by his opponents. Despite looking ungainly when facing it, he is rarely dismissed through it.

Waugh's ability to continue to play despite a back injury that largely prevented him bowling further enhanced his reputation. Waugh, along with the bowling of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, provided perhaps the major foundation upon which the Australian team rose to become what was widely regarded as the best team in the world by the mid-1990s.

Captaincy

Waugh took over the captaincy of the one-day side in 1997-98, as planning began for the 1999 World Cup. Producing several reasonable scores in a side struggling early, Waugh saved his best for two crucial games against South Africa, scoring 120 against South Africa in the last game of the "Super Six" to ensure Australia's progression to the semi-final, and then 56 in the semi, which was tied.

Upon the retirement of Mark Taylor in 1999, Waugh assumed the Test captaincy, and turned an already successful side into a dominant one that in many cricket watchers' views ranks with Sir Donald Bradman's 1948 Invincibles and the West Indian teams of the 1980s as one of the best cricket teams of all time. Steve Waugh's ruthless approach led to a succession of drubbings of hapless, outclassed opposition and a record run of 16 consecutive Test match wins, easily eclipsing the previous record of 11 by the West Indies. His 57 matches as captain is the fourth highest, and Australia's 41 victories under his leadership is the most of any Test captain.

In 2001, Waugh became the sixth batsman, and second Australian after Andrew Hilditch to be given out handled the ball.

Decline

Waugh lost the one-day captaincy, and indeed a spot in the one-day side, in 2001-02, but in typical style, declared that he wished to regain a place in the team — a wish he never achieved.

After playing in nine successive Ashes series, the 2002/03 rubber was to be Waugh's last against England, and was to prove one of the most emphatic victories he enjoyed against the English. The series' most memorable moment came on the second day of the Fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Leading into the match Waugh had been heavily scrutinised by selectors and the media over his advancing age and lack of recent form, having not posted a Test century since 2002 against Pakistan. As this was the last match of the series and last Test of the Australian summer, Waugh was likely to be dropped from the team if he failed again in this match. Asked before the match about the defining moment of a career likely to soon be over, Waugh predicted gamely, "It might be yet to come." In a stunning display of determination and defiance, he then fulfilled this prophesy by scoring a chanceless century on the second afternoon. He had entered the final over of the day on 95http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2002-03/ENG_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/ENG_AUS_T5_02-06JAN2003_BBB-COMMS.html not out, and hit a boundary off the last ball (bowled by English off spinner Richard Dawson) to bring up his ton. Waugh left the ground to an emotional standing ovation, his Test career saved. It came to be known as his 'Perfect Day'.

Steve Waugh retired from international cricket, after the fourth Test against India on 2-6 January, 2004. Steve played a crucial, archetypically gritty final Test innings, compiling 80 - his highest-ever fourth innings score - on the final day to save Australia from their first home series defeat in 12 years. As he passed 50, ferries on Sydney Harbour took the rare gesture of sounding their horns in acknowledgement of the retiring champion. An all-time record number of fans and spectators had also turned out on the fifth day to bid farewell to Waugh at the SCG.

Outside cricket

Waugh departs from the distinctly Anglocentric, ockerish, and politically conservative traditions of Australian cricket in his interest in India. Waugh helps to raise funds for a leper children's colony, "Udayan", in Calcutta. Whilst hardly a novel thing for a celebrity to do, it is highly novel for an Australian cricketer. He reportedly also encouraged his players to learn about and enjoy the countries they visited and played in—presumably partly to reduce the siege mentality of some previous Australian teams playing in south Asia, but also seemingly for a genuine desire to use cricket to build bridges.

Waugh is a keen photographer and has produced several "tour diaries" which feature his images. In his latter years as a cricketer, he has written for a number of newspapers. He insists on writing them himself rather than with the assistance of professional journalists. He is also a prolific author and his ever expanding series of tour diaries and thoughts provide an insight into the mind of Steve Waugh. Recently, he has written an auto-biography called Out of my comfort zone, a book which has brought lots of controversy.

Waugh was named Australian of the Year in 2004, in recognition of both his incredible sporting achievements and significant charity work. Waugh is married to Lynette with three children and was named Australian Father of the Year in 2005.

Books Authored

References

External links

Career

Debut

Return from dropping

Captaincy

Decline

Outside cricket

Books Authored

References

Further reading

See also

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Steve Waugh

Career

Debut

Return from dropping

Captaincy

Decline

Outside cricket

Books Authored

References

Further reading

See also

External links