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Waugh times end
End of era is the simple yet precise phrase to describe the retiring of Steve Waugh. After simple beginnings he rose to be acknowledged as one of the giants to stride onto a cricket field. He is the classic example of perseverance, determination and guts.

Steve Waugh arrived on the international scene when the Australians were struggling to find their feet at the highest level due to retirements, splits resulting in the Packer series and defections to South Africa. In fact barring the West Indies the rest of the world were in the process of re-building.In those days he was more of a bits and pieces cricketer. Batting was his strength. He could bowl useful medium pacers and was very good on the field. He reveled in the one day game. The involvement in all three departments was what he thrived on. He also excelled in bowling at the death in the limited over games.

He was able to do that with clever variation. This indicated that although he was not overly blessed with talent, he was a thinking cricketer.Sport is played with tremendous enthusiasm and competitiveness in Australia. For a nation whose population is the same as Sri Lanka they produce sports people at an amazingly high proportion. In both individual and team sport they have reached great heights.

There is a tremendous amount of money spent on development of all sports. Cricket is among the top bracket in the sponsors list. The administration constantly strives to achieve excellence and develop infra-structure.

This gives the players ample opportunity at all levels of team sport, high priority is placed on playing for the team.Steve Waugh absorbed these traits and made the most of what the system had to offer. Beginnings were at grade (club) level. Even the international players play club cricket when available. Then onto the tough, competitive state second and first eleven cricket.

A solid grounding to play any opposition.Yet, it took a long while for Waugh to be accepted as a good cricketer in the National side. After serving a reasonable period of apprenticeship he lost his place in the test team. And it was to his twin brother Mark. He went back to the drawing board, scored runs in domestic cricket and returned to the side, never to lose his place again. He seemed vulnerable in playing the short-pitched delivery against genuine pace bowling. It's never easy to face up to the challenge of facing fierce short deliveries all day. Waugh found a way out. Only play at what is essential became his theory. Of course, be prepared to take on the body blows.

That he did with tremendous guts and courage.So the career progressed and advanced. He became a national treasure. The world accepted him as a great. He survived to play 168 test matches and 325 one day internationals. A record hard to match. Along the way he passed many milestones. Enough to fill an entire book. But what he will be remembered for is that he played every single day as if it were his last and his whole life depended on it.

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