NFT - Steve Waugh announces retirement

[tigermite]

Just heard that Steve Waugh has announced that he'll retire after the last test against India at the SCG in January. I'm a bit surprised, but we all knew it was coming at some time.

Anyway, I hope he has a great last summer of cricket leading us to a series win over the Indian side, and I must say congratulations for such a great career.

My best memory.... being at the SCG at the start of this year watching him smash a century against England in perhaps his best ever innings. I'll never forget that day...

 

[keeney]

but why, you think hell break the record of most runs in that time?

 

[antonius]

I hadn't heard about it but I have to agree with Tigermite, I'm surprised, He is still playing as well as ever he was, scoring stacks of runs, and is still a great leader. I thought he would hang there for at least another year, maybe the constant speculation, and Hohns continually spectulating on his future has finally pushed him into deciding he'll go on his terms. IMO Steve Waugh will go down as the best test cricket captain this country has had, certainly the most successfull, he has shown the cricketing world that playing the game aggresively is the way to success, and the fact that the old cricket bugbear of playing the game to ensure you don't lose it is well and truely in the past. A great player who is still at the top of his game.

 

[knightsgal85]

My best memory.... being at the SCG at the start of this year watching him smash a century against England in perhaps his best ever innings. I'll never forget that day...

I would have to say that is one of the greatest memories that comes to mind for me as well tigermite, which was also one of the finest moments in Australian sporting history.

It is a tribute to the fact that he will fittingly play his final Test on his home ground, the SCG. He was a superb captain, player, sportsman and Australian. I can rarely say that I am genuinley proud of any one sportsperson, but I have no hesitation to reveal that Steve Waugh made me proud as an Australian cricket fan.

Congratulations Steve on a fantastic career.

 

[roopy]

My number one memory of the Waughs was when Steve and Mark both took big scores off the incredibly hostile West Indies pace attack in the West Indies to win us the series over them for the first time in about 15 years.
Those bowlers were still fantastic and were doing their best to kill the brothers, and no one thought it was possible to beat the WI's at the time, but Aussie cricket has never looked back from that series.
The WI's was the greatest team ever till the Waugh's broke their back, and now we have become the greatest team ever.

 

[NC]

My best memory.... being at the SCG at the start of this year watching him smash a century against England in perhaps his best ever innings. I'll never forget that day...

Agreed ;-)
Although I didn't watch the whole innings because I was on holiday at the time, I came home in time to catch the last hour. And I got to relive it all again when I got the dvd.

I heard about his retirement this morning and I was very shocked at first. He has been playing so well over the past couple of months and hopefully he'll have another awesome summer to finish off his test career.

 

[The Colonel]

My best memories are the last Ashes series in England. From early on in his innings, the calf injury that forced him to leave the field by stretcher at Trent Bridge, stiffened up, restricting both his batting and his running, which made the completion of his 27th Test century all the more remarkable.

The match against the West Indies when he stood toe to toe against Curtly.

The World Cup match when he was dropped by Herschelle Gibbs.

and of course the last match of the Ashes series.

 

[Leasha]

I too was surprised that Steve Waugh announced retirement so early, expecting him to be playing for another year or more. But I think that he can be thoroughly happy and satisfied with his performance for his country - he was a fantastic player, and, if possible, an even better captain - he inspired and encouraged, and so often produced a positive and winning result from his team.

Congratulations Steve on a great innings... you did good

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

Thank goodness it won't be another Summer of the media telling him what he should or shouldn't do. Good on Steve Waugh for sticking it right up Hohns' arse last Summer and let's hope he does it another 4 times this season.

My best Waugh memory would also have to be that West Indian innings with his brother. The Frank Warrell Trophy was just one of those ones we couldn't win before then, now it's a walkover. And to think we actually got to see it on Channel 10! I also remember his younger days with Dean Jones in the ODI sides. I used to love it when Marsh and Border were cleaned up allowing for Waugh, Boon and Jones to go at it.

 

[Doctor]

Many will know of my long-held admiration for Steve Waugh - in case you're not aware of this: be thankful he is retiring because I can waffle on about how great Waugh is until the cows come home and start laying eggs.

I'm not going to bother too much with stats, nor statistics. His record speaks for itself and no amount of superlatives will accurately summarise the contribution to Australian cricket Steve Waugh has made.

Just quietly, I can smell something fishy about this decision, perhaps even a shove from Trevor Hohns. If not a shove, then certainly the pressure being applied by him has contributed. In any case the selectors get their way (freshen up the team), Cricket Australia get their way (Waugh retires in Australia, prompting bigger crowds at all the venues, especially the SCG), the public get their way (they get to see him one last time, a heroic swansong) and Waugh and his family get what they want in one final summer and then back to the family.

Waugh has been the ultimate stoic of cricket. His longevity and career milestones speak for themselves, and so too his status as the most successful captain in Test history. One can only guess as to why the terrible trio of Trevor Hohns, Ian Chappell and David Hookes have always found ten-fold more faults than attributes in Waugh - must be the old stick lodged in a cavity somewhere I should guess.

Waugh will be remembered as a great of Australian sport. He fought hard but fair, stood up to the great players of modern cricket, fought hard in tough situations and came out with an imposing record, including a 2003 that has been performed at Bradman-like levels.

I will remember the cut shots, square drives, nudges off the pads, the more recent slog-sweep - but more so the rescue missions launched with Healy and co to turn 3/40 or 4/60 into 5/280 or thereabouts.

His resiliance to pressure, feeding off such pressure, mark him as a great of modern sport.

Steve Waugh for Australian of the Year.

 

[The Colonel]

Steve Waugh for Australian of the Year.

Stuff that....... Australian of the Decade!

 

[IanG]

but why, you think hell break the record of most runs in that time?

Well he has 4 tests to get 500 odd runs I'd say the form he's in he has a good chance of doing it. Wouldn't it be great to see him do it at the SCG

 

[northey]

it is sad to see him quit cricket but it had to happen and why not go out on a good note

 

[princess plj]

its was going to happen sooner or later. he has his ups and downs in the past few seasons but he has come up on top as he has proved on more than one occassion why he is as good as he is. i hope he has a good last test series against india and that he scores a tonne of runs in sydney so he can go out on a high at the scg!!! =D>

 

[Doctor]

I thought Peter Roebuck's tribute on the front sport page of the Sydney Morning Herald was quite appropriate. He suggests, like many Australian cricket followers, that the selectors (namely Trevor Hohns) had a hand (or a shoulder) in Waugh's retirement.

I can believe that idea - Hohns has been after Waugh for ages, there is no secret the two have an ongoing battle going on, and I think Waugh's retirement represents a win and loss for both parties - Hohns would have wanted to get rid of him before now, but will see it as a victory that Waugh's plans remain unfufilled. Meanwhile Waugh gets his final swansong, four test matches, but misses out on his plans to tour Sri Lanka and India. Win/Lose in both camps.

What still puzzles me is the vendetta Hohns has. I think it stems back to the mid to late 80s when both players were allrounders competiting for a Test Spot. Perhaps something went on back then - with any luck Waugh will write it in his autobiography that he will no doubt write (and I'll be buying it).

Waugh's form, even if his average was to halve in the next 12 months, would still see him performing at a above-average level. His spot should have been secured, because he met all the requirements bar one. His average for 2003....is 104. A quick perusal of the 2003 top run scorers indicates that only the likes of Hayden, Grahame Smith and Lara are in the 60s and 70s - certainly nowhere near Waugh's triple-figure average. His captaincy is still maintaining high standards, seeing as though they're still winning. Furthermore he has the full support of his entire team, the CA heads, the Australian public and all the respected opponents and former players (besides Ian Chappell, David Hookes, Saurov Ganguley and of course Trevor Hohns).

Waugh's record, captaincy, longevity and least of all his current phenominal batting form, give him a list of reasons to stay (as long as Santa's wishlist), yet all indications point to a big smudgy finger-print/hand-print mark squarely on the back of Waugh's shoulders.

Too bad Hohns' long-running vendetta cannot wipe away what has been an imposing and superlative-sapping record.