Waugh smiled and said, “11 Australians are equal to one Ranatunga of Sri Lanka on the field because he got under our skin”
Steve Waugh, with a 71% test win as Captain of Australia, that included 15 wins on the trot is rated as one of the greatest Captain cum player the world has seen.
To Captain and to be successful in your own performance is stressful. Mike Bearly, former Captain of England, was a great captain, but his own performance was nothing much to write home about.
The Australian think tank more often than not always upset the opposition apple cart by ensuring the Captain under performs in his three disciplines because then the worry of his below par performance will be detrimental to his Captaincy, thereby giving birth to foolish or amateur Captaincy decisions which the Aussies feel they can capitalise.
A good number of 168 Test matches. With 10 927 runs at an average of 51.06 and 92 test wickets, is just one side of the coin. Whilst the other side of the coin records 325 one day internationals, contribution with the willow 759 runs, with his gentle medium pace 207 scalps. What a contribution with both bat and ball, coupled with his poker faced shrewd cricketing mind, today I revisit my interview with Australian great Steve Waugh.
It was back in 1999 when my close pal Geoff Marsh arranged this interview for me as coach of Australia at the Taj Samudra here in Colombo.
I introduced Steve on camera to our viewers, as usual sang his praises. He was poker faced but did steal a smile off him when I stated that any country in World Cricket will tag Steve Waugh as a priceless gift if they had Steve Waugh as their Captain cum player.
My first question to him had a sense of humour, which he greeted with glea. Quote ” Steve, you have the best team in the world. Why are your players known as world-renowned sledges using unparliamentary language at times? He smiled and said, “11 Australians are equal to one Ranatunga of Sri Lanka on the field because Arjuna, even though he never used unparliamentary language, he got under our skin.”
Mind you, Steve Waugh, with a 71% test win record as Captain of Australia, that included 15 wins on the trot, is rated as one of the greatest captains cum player the world has seen.
To Captain and to be successful in your own performance is stressful. Mike Bearly, former Captain of England, was a great captain, but his own performance was nothing much to write home about.
The Australian think tank more often than not always upset the opposition apple cart by ensuring the Captain under performs in his three disciplines because then the worry of his below par performance will be detrimental to his Captaincy , thereby giving birth to foolish or amateur captaincy decisions which the Aussies feel they can capitalise.
168 Test matches. With 10 927 runs at an average of 51.06 and 92 test wickets, is just one side of the coin. Whilst the other side of the coin records 325 one day internationals, contribution with the willow 759 runs, with his gentle medium pace 207 scalps. What a contribution with both bat and ball, coupled with his poker faced shrewd cricketing mind, today I revisit my interview with Australian great Steve Waugh.
It was back in 1999 when my close pal Geoff Marsh arranged this interview for me as coach of Australia at the Taj Samudra here in Colombo.
I introduced Steve on camera to our viewers, as usual sang his praises. He was poker faced but did steal a smile off him when I stated that any country in World Cricket will tag Steve Waugh as a priceless gift if they had Steve Waugh as their Captain cum player.
My first question to him had a sense of humour, which he greeted with glea. Quote ” Steve, you have the best team in the world. Why are your players known as world-renowned sledges using unparliamentary language at time? He smiled and said 11 Australians are equal to one Ranatunga of Sri Lanka on the field because Arjuna, even though he never used unparliamentary language, got under our skins, which can upset player concentration. He simply got under our skins by saying, “Hey, how come the selectors got u to play this game? In Sri Lanka, you won’t even play division 3 cricket. Many more insults like that. Even Chaminda Vass was no angel, either once he remarked at one of our batters that he looks like a dig under a lamp post when facing his in swinger. So Brian, none of us are angels. it’s hot off the field, but beers and cheers after the day’s play.
He stated that playing Sri Lanka in our home conditions was so different that we used Perth as our main weapon to soften them up, took advantage of the free mantle doctor in Brisbane, the bounce seam, and carry in Melbourne, but hated playing in Sydney because that wide-eyed Murali will spin his Web around us and sting like Australian brown taipan.
SRI LANKA A HANDFUL
He said out of all the subcontinent teams, Sri Lanka, in their own backyard, is a handful. Strong batting line up mate Jayasuriya to us is devastating. Gurusinha is hard to dismiss. We all know who Aravinda is. He will be the first choice batter in a world eleven. Cope and hope against all odds against Mahanama, Hashan Tillekeratne, then tolerate Kumar Dharmasena, who takes pleasure in frustrating our seamers is no mean task playing in these conditions.
We all know Murali and his love affair with the Galle pitch. He piggy backs Kumar Dharmasena, whilst Chaminda Vass comes like a thief in the night, whilst we slumber with spin and the Murali menace, Vass pockets his share and we are shell shocked, that he has rocked us with the old ball.
Ya, we need to address these issues in this series. We love to play on Sri Lanka, the ambience is breathtaking, and it is very different from India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, we have hardly toured to the tiger’s cage so far.
He stated that he had no idol cricketing hero he emulates, but he was an admirer of Mother Theresa who was alive then, and would be visiting her soon in Calcutta.
He said he loves the Sri Lankan culture and cuisine. Simple people, they are very conservative, in their support, unlike the Indians who get more involved in the game and vocal their minds openly loud and clear.
Finally, he said that Ranatunga was unique because his personal performance with bat or ball did not deter him from the way he led his team. Arjuna is a crafty captain, took the world by surprise in 1996, to me, a leader second to none.
I wound up by stating, “Steve Waugh, I am sure your legacy will live to infinity as a captain, with a sharp mind set, and leads by example with both bat and ball, not so much words, but with solutions.