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Waugh: 'The Time is Right'

Wednesday, November 26 2003

Test cricket's most successful captain Steve Waugh today (10:30am) announced his retirement from international cricket following the Indian Test series this summer.

After 18 years and a combined total of 489 international matches, Steve Waugh has announced his pending retirement from the game that made him a superstar and cult hero.

At the age of 38 and despite being in peak form, Waugh will not make the tour of India in 2004 that he has dreamed of as the perfect farewell from the international game.

Instead, Waugh will play his last Test match in front of his home crowd at the SCG - a far cry from a packed Indian stadium.

Having already been dumped from the ODI side in 2001, Waugh's prolonged form slump snapped and he again played with the drive, motivation and enthusiasm of when he started his career at the age of 18.

Just on Sunday, he top scored for his state in an ING Cup fixture and is one of the leading run-scorers at domestic level this summer.

Waugh is the only man to have scored 150 against all Test playing nations on the international stage.

He has scored an Australian record 32 Test centuries and averages an amazing 51.25 after a world-record 164 Test matches, recently overtaking Allan Border as the most capped Test cricketer.

After his career looked over after the fourth Ashes Test match in 2002, Waugh played an amazing innings at the SCG in the 5th Test to save his career - and prove himself as a man for the occasion.

The innings has been highlighted in Australia cricket folklore as one of the great Test match innings. A perfect day.

After having played over 100 Test matches beside brother Mark, he faced his first Test series in charge without his twin at number 4 and second slip.

Since then, Mark has retired from international cricket and continues to play for his state side NSW.

The retirement, despite his 38 years, strikes as premature.

Aside from his cricketing career, Waugh owns a bank building in Sydney, and orphanage in India and is renowned worldwide for his generosity, gentle nature and charity work.

Waugh has scored 10660 Test runs and taken 91 wickets. He was once famed for his bowling, before injuries crippled his effectiveness at the bowling crease, reducing 'The Iceman' to a limited capacity.

As well as proving his longevity, he is well known for his match-winning capabilities.

Among his finest achievements ranks his unbeaten 120 to steer Australia to victory against South Africa in the Super Six match at the 1999 World Cup following the almost impossible position his side was in.

As history goes on to state, Australia became the champions following a comprehensive victory in the final against Pakistan.

He scored 3 ODI hundreds, 7569 runs and took 195 wickets after having played the 3rd most matches in history.

Waugh boasts an average of 104 in first-class cricket for the 2003 calendar year.

Despite his recognition as the man for a crisis, he averages just 30.85 in the second innings of Test matches.

This is compared to his 61.81 in the first innings - amazingly, he averages 338 at English Test ground Headingly.

Waugh boasts a captaincy record for 53 matches for 40 victories - and just 8 losses. He recently overtook Clive Lloyd as Test crickets most prolific captain.

While his retirement will mark the end of a fantastic Waugh twin dynasty, it looks set to offer Australia's best young player Michael Clarke a Test spot.

Ironically, he was dropped from the Test side for his brother in 1991, despite having averaged 89 in the 1989 calendar international year.

The pair played over 100 Tests together, and are the most prolific pair of brothers in the history of Test cricket.

During the press conference, Waugh stated he felt it was 'The right time' to pack away the pads following the domestic Test summer.

He described the last 12 months as the most challenging and rewarding of his career - emphasising his own pride in consistency.

His last Test will be at the SCG in the New Year - only a fool would suggest that it won't also be his last Test hundred.

Waugh stated he wants to spend more regular time with his family and live as a 'conventional family unit'.

Posted by Andre