Biography of Steve Waugh :- Steve Waugh is a former captain of Australian cricket team; he was born on 2nd June 1965 in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia. Steve and his twin brother Mark Waugh both played International cricket at the same time and were both successful representing the baggy green.
Stephen Rodger Waugh as his full name, he debuted in Test cricket in 1985 vs. India and also played his last test game against the same opposition i.e. India in 2004 making 80 runs in his last inning.
Steve Waugh started his first-class career for home side New South Wales in 1984, he began slow and ordinary, termed himself a not-so-useful player in the initial stages of International cricket later improvised his technique, batting, and bowling skills to become one of the greatest batsman, all-rounder, and captain of Australia in Test and ODIs.
Biography of Steve Waugh
- Born:- 2 June 1965 (age 52), Campsie, Sydney, Australia
- Height:- 1.68 m
- Spouse:- Lynette Waugh (m. 1990)
- Last Test:- 2 January 2004 v India
- Siblings:- Mark Waugh, Dean Waugh, Danny Waugh
Steve Waugh remained Australia’s captain for 5 years and was one of the only two captains of Australia winning two Ashes title as a captain for the team, he was also involved in the world-record 16 consecutive wins for an Australian cricket team in Test format, 15 of them were under Steve’s captaincy.
He also remained the most capped player in Test cricket playing 168 test games that were later surpassed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar. Apart from batting, Steve Waugh was a good medium-fast bowler, he gave up the bowling talent owing to prolong his career and to concentrate on batting and a career without an injury.
Tugga as he was called by his teammates, Steve Waugh was an aggressive captain; he never compromised on bad fielding or misbehavior of his teammates.
Steve Waugh was inducted into ICC Hall of Fame in 2010 in Sydney; he was also awarded Order of Australia for his contribution to the game and charity work in the past decade.
Steve Waugh also holds Allan Border medal for his consistent captaincy and contributing to the test side of the golden era of cricket for Cricket Australia. He was an intelligent and strict leader; it was the reason he stayed harsh during media talks termed by Australian media as the cold-blooded leader.
Steve Waugh was appointed as a captain in 1999; he was the captain of Australian squad that won ICC World Cup 1999.
Steve Waugh Stats & Records
Steve played first-class cricket for 20+ years, he remained dominant in the last decade of career. Making his debut on Boxing Day test against India, year after making debut for New South Wales, Steve Waugh ended it on a higher note holding several records and ICC Hall of Fame by the dusk of a shiny run in January 2004.
Steve Waugh made his ODI debut a month after playing India in attest match. His ODI career ended 2 years before in 2002 finally retiring from Test cricket. In 1998, Steve Waugh also played for Ireland.
Batting Stats: In 168 test appearances that remained most by anyone until 2010, Steve Waugh scored 10,927 runs with a batting average of 51.06.
It included 32 centuries and 50 half-centuries with the highest score of 200. In 325 ODIs, Waugh, scored 7,569 runs with a batting average of 32.90. His ODI career only encompassed 3 centuries and 45 fifties and a top score of 120 not out.
Overall in 356 test games in a 20-year span, Steve Waugh amassed 24,000+ runs with a brilliant batting average of 51.94 and record 79 centuries and 97 half-centuries with a best score of 216 not out.
Bowling Stats: Steve Waugh bowled, but for a short period of time, his 92 Test wickets with a bowling average of 37.44 remained supportive for Australia.
The best figures were 5/28 and 112 catches overall in tests. In 325 ODIs, Steve Waugh bowled in 207 games and took 197 wickets with the best bowling figures of 4/33 with an economy 4.56.
Steve Waugh made his comeback in 1999 in test cricket solely due to his skills to swing the ball with pace; his bowling helped him get a reward for the most successful captain and a chance to regain the batting form falling apart in the last season.
International Career
In 1984 season, Steve Waugh was selected in New South Wales in Sheffield Shield trophy as a bowling all-rounder; he batted at number 9 throughout the season and bowled later in the innings. He was the hero of the final as he scored 71 coming at number 9.
In 1985-86 series with India, Steve Waugh made his Test debut and took 2 wickets. Against New Zealand in the same year, Steve Waugh made an impact with both his batting and bowling in Test and ODI series. He was retained for the triangular tournament for his all-round performances.
He was good enough to ensure the victory against India and was selected in the squad for the next tour to New Zealand. In a six-match series against India in India, Steve Waugh had everything prepared against the top-class spin attack; his average at the end of the series was 55.50 with seven wickets.
Steve Waugh got selected afterward for ICC World Cup 1987 in India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. It was a successful tournament relating his bowling talent, he remained economical and useful scorer in the death over’s.
The frontline bowling and crucial batting of Steve Waugh remained consistent until the final victory and Australia won the World Cup for the first time beating England at Eden Gardens Kolkata.
After the World Cup 1987, Steve Waugh averaged 32.29 after the season was concluded; his bowling earned 18 wickets to Australia. It continued as West Indies toured Australia and later in the Ashes 1989, his batting average never dropped below 30 as he worked as a frontline bowler.
Waugh’s first century came against England, 177 not out saving the match for Australia. In the second Test at Lord’s, Steve Waugh came back with another 150+ inning and won it for Aussies. After the end of the series, Steve Waugh had an average of 126.5 and two wickets.
In Ashes 1990-91, Steve was out of form and was dropped due to bad form in the recent games. This time his brother Mark Waugh was the man of the match as he scored a century on debut in place of Steve.
He was an integral part of ODI team but somehow never played a single test game in a year and a half. After his return in 1993, Steve Waugh scored a century and glued himself to the test team later on.
This time, he scored with a batting average of 20+ in each inning and took wickets regularly. He scored more runs, including those 150+ scores coming consistently.
In the1995-96 season, Steve Waugh became World’s best batsman. He averaged 50 in the first Test series against Pakistan and then return to turntables in ODIs with his first-ever century at MCG.
The test form continued side by side with 150+ scores and quick fifties along with the tail. In ICC World Cup 1996, Waugh was included for his better track record on the sub-continental pitches.
Australia lost in the finals, and it ended as a good start but bad conclusion for Waugh as a player. ICC World Cup 1999 was the greatest victory for Steve Waugh as a captain.
After a sluggish start in the WC, Australia came back with a boom winning last seven games including the final one. After the ’99 World Cup, Waugh returned to the test squad with new players and new coaching staff.
The first victims were Pakistan, and then India getting whitewashed by the mighty Aussies in 2000 season. Steve himself was enjoying it as he scored 150 runs against India with a batting average of 55.20 against India.
In the2000-01 season, Australia remained undefeated under Steve Waugh captaincy; he secured back-to-back victories and hundreds against West Indies. At the end of the year 2000, Steve Waugh had a batting average of 69.80.
His last test match was against India at the SCG, his home ground. He finished with 80 runs and a spectacular farewell by spectators and cricketers alike. I, innings in the farewell game were his highest one In the whole season, the reason to applaud was his spectacular effort to draw the game after India posted a grand total of 700+ to restrict Australia.
The match was drawn, he was given a standing ovation by all players, boats sounded their horns, and the great Australian captain walked out of the ground with claps and roars. He led Australia to 41 wins in tests, most by any Australian captain.
Also, Steve Waugh is a record holder of scoring 150 against all the test playing nations. He is a 4th highest run scorer of all times in test cricket.
Post-retirement Career
Steve Waugh is a renowned philanthropist and social worker; he is a writer, a poet, professional photographer, and sometimes a sports journalist. He wrote columns in several International Journals, his tour diaries are remarkable and digestible.
Waugh was Athletics Liaison officer in 2008 Beijing Olympics in China and an official of Australian Football team.
He is also a brand ambassador of Australian Health Management and Founder of Waugh Global, an International Property dealing Firm designed for NRIs. Steve Waugh is also the former winner of Australian of the Year.
Steve Waugh is a much-praised cricketer in India; he often visits India and endorses several Indian products.
Steve Waugh Family and Personal Life
Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh were born as twins; Mark was 5-minute younger than Steve. Both played cricket, football, rugby, and tennis together from professional coaches and trainers. Steve Waugh has three brothers, Mark Waugh, Dean Waugh, and Danny Waugh.
Before being selected for first class cricket, he was a hot bet for Rugby Scouts of New South Wales, but he opted out due to personal reasons. Same was his talent in tennis and then cricket. Both the twins remained with each other in cricket and other sports.
A time came when Mark Waugh was selected in place of out-of-form Steve Waugh, his twin brother in the Australian cricket team. It was coincident that both Steve and Mark Waugh were dismissed for amuck in their opening first-class matches.
After the conclusion of Australian season in 1984 and a successful one for both of them with NSW, they both sought a contract with English County Lancashire in Bolton League. In the same season, Steve Waugh was added to Essex squad dramatically that shaped his career afterward.
Steve Waugh married his childhood sweetheart Lynette Waugh in 1990. Lynette is a schoolteacher by profession. Steve Waugh admitted his wife’s support throughout his hectic International career since 1990.
Steve Waugh wife is a philanthropist along with her husband; she was actually the brainchild of Steve Waugh Foundation.
The foundation restored faiths and health of kids suffering from rare diseases, Lynette herself suffers from strokes. Both have three children, Austin Waugh, Rosalie Waugh, and Lilian Waugh.
Autobiography of Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh uncovered his autobiography named “Out of my Comfort Zone” revealing much of his behind-the-lens life was authored by him in 2005. The book covers almost every inch and a bit of his International career, touched his personal life and happenings in the dressing room in the book.
The autobiography of Steve Waugh is the longest biography written by any sportsman i.e. 801 pages and a lot of photographs. His tour diaries and individual comments about few inspirations in International cricket as well as few of his role models in cricket were provided a protocol of acknowledgments at the end.
He talked openly about match-fixing and its roots in the International Cricket criticizing the foreign players proven guilty of it. Steve Waugh is the author of Ashes Diary 2001, The Meaning of Luck: Stories of Learning, Leadership & Love, Images of Waugh: A Cricketer’s Journey that explained his entire career in pictures, and many other diaries and books.
