Steve Waugh was the most selfish player I ever played with: Shane Warne

[MenInG]

Cruel memories of the 1999 Test against West Indies for which he was axed are still fresh in former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne’s mind. In fact, Warne revealed that he felt, “totally let down” by Australia’s then captain Steve Waugh when he was dropped from the playing XI for the fourth Test.

Warne also termed his captain as “the most selfish player I ever played with, and was only worried about averaging 50″.

During their tour of the Caribbean, Waugh was appointed Test captain and Warne as his deputy. Australia won the first Test by 312 runs, but Brian Lara’s sublime centuries in the next two ensured West Indies stormed back. West Indies were leading 2-1 into the final Test in Antigua. Warne’s figures in the first three Tests were a poor two wickets at 134.00.

In an extract from his book, Warne describes how the selection meeting panned out before the final Test.

“I was vice-captain and bowling pretty ordinary and Tugga [Waugh] opened the selection meeting between the two of us and Geoff Marsh, the coach, by saying, ‘Warney, I don’t think you should play this next Test.’

“Silence. ‘Er, right,’ I said. ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t think you’re bowling very well, mate.’ ‘Yes… fair call,’ I admitted. ‘My shoulder [after surgery] is taking longer than I thought but it’s close now. The feel is slowly coming back and then the rhythm will come, mate. I’m not worried.’”

Warne wrote that he found support in Allan Border, who was part of the selection committee at that time. “I back Warney every time. The situation is made for him. Anyway, we owe him. Think of what he’s done for Australian cricket. We need to show faith,” Warne wrote.

Warne wrote that Waugh was adamant that he has to be dropped. “No, I appreciate your thoughts, AB, but Warney’s not playing. I’m going with my gut here. Sorry, guys.”

Australia squared the series, but not without a disappointed Warne. “Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend,” he wrote.

“I conducted myself badly, to be honest. I wasn’t that supportive of the team, which I regret. Looking back, this was probably a combination of the shoulder issue still eating away at me and the pure anger bubbling inside at Steve’s lack of trust.

“During the first three Tests, at various times some of the bowlers came to me, grumbling about Tugga’s captaincy and field placements and stuff. I said I was backing him to the hilt and if they had a problem with the captain they should go see him direct. Perhaps because of this, I was deeply disappointed that he didn’t back me in return.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...-player-i-ever-played-with-shane-warne-751200

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Cruel memories of the 1999 Test against West Indies for which he was axed are still fresh in former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne’s mind. In fact, Warne revealed that he felt, “totally let down” by Australia’s then captain Steve Waugh when he was dropped from the playing XI for the fourth Test.

Warne also termed his captain as “the most selfish player I ever played with, and was only worried about averaging 50″.

During their tour of the Caribbean, Waugh was appointed Test captain and Warne as his deputy. Australia won the first Test by 312 runs, but Brian Lara’s sublime centuries in the next two ensured West Indies stormed back. West Indies were leading 2-1 into the final Test in Antigua. Warne’s figures in the first three Tests were a poor two wickets at 134.00.

In an extract from his book, Warne describes how the selection meeting panned out before the final Test.

“I was vice-captain and bowling pretty ordinary and Tugga [Waugh] opened the selection meeting between the two of us and Geoff Marsh, the coach, by saying, ‘Warney, I don’t think you should play this next Test.’

“Silence. ‘Er, right,’ I said. ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t think you’re bowling very well, mate.’ ‘Yes… fair call,’ I admitted. ‘My shoulder [after surgery] is taking longer than I thought but it’s close now. The feel is slowly coming back and then the rhythm will come, mate. I’m not worried.’”

Warne wrote that he found support in Allan Border, who was part of the selection committee at that time. “I back Warney every time. The situation is made for him. Anyway, we owe him. Think of what he’s done for Australian cricket. We need to show faith,” Warne wrote.

Warne wrote that Waugh was adamant that he has to be dropped. “No, I appreciate your thoughts, AB, but Warney’s not playing. I’m going with my gut here. Sorry, guys.”

Australia squared the series, but not without a disappointed Warne. “Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend,” he wrote.

“I conducted myself badly, to be honest. I wasn’t that supportive of the team, which I regret. Looking back, this was probably a combination of the shoulder issue still eating away at me and the pure anger bubbling inside at Steve’s lack of trust.

“During the first three Tests, at various times some of the bowlers came to me, grumbling about Tugga’s captaincy and field placements and stuff. I said I was backing him to the hilt and if they had a problem with the captain they should go see him direct. Perhaps because of this, I was deeply disappointed that he didn’t back me in return.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...-player-i-ever-played-with-shane-warne-751200

Not selfish.

Highly professional.

He wanted to win at any cost and if Warne not bowling well was a hindrance, he chose to drop him. He would have dropped anyone if he thought it would make Australia win.

In hindsight, it was a smashing decision as Australia squared the series.

Warnie is just being a bit sensitive here.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Warne has always hated Steve Waugh. Not surprised by his claim

 

[austerlitz]

Warne's ego cant take he was dropped.Warne was a great bowler,but also a tad overhyped.
Sachin,laxman,dravid,ganguly,azhar,sehwag and sidhu used to make mincemeat out of him whenever we played.Especially sidhu and tendu treated him like a gully bowler.

 

[Hasan123]

Love both players but I think Warne has a personal issue with Waugh. Waugh doesn't talk about it often but Warne has often slagged Waugh off.

Steve Waugh is far from a selfish cricketer. He is one of the most gutiest cricketers to play the game.

 

[Bewal Express]

I thought that Waugh was a great player and this nonsense by Warne is complete rubbish. It was Waughs runs on many occasions that allowed Warne to bowl to attacking fields and when the runs werent on the board as in WI in 1998, Warne was toast. The bitterness of being dropped in 98 in the Windies still hurts him.

 

[AFM]

He's said this before on reality TV

 

[Joginder_Sharma]

Warne is an absolute legend, no doubt about it but he's also a massive tool, how can he still be bitter about it boggles my mind. He should do some introspection first considering AUS won the match and squared the series after selecting Macgill over him.

 

[A-1]

Amazing to see that even after all those indifference's, they behaved like true pros and gave it their all on the field. Warne even disliked gilly, but both performed brilliantly together.

On one hand you have professionals like them and on the other hand we unfortunately have players that took oath on Quran and deliberately under-performed to undermine a certain captain

Come to think of, This under performing tactic actually started right after IK left cricket. We desperately need a strong leader like IK and Waugh, true geniuses, both demanded and earned respect from players.

 

[James]

There seem to be two major groups of Aussie cricketer.

The first is the quieter, classier, hard-working “team before individual” type who just wants to get on with the job in hand and deliver results for Australian cricket - like Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Steve Waugh. They are respected by fans around the world.

The second type sadly seems to be slightly more common. They take a particular dislike to the first type and are generally known for their playboy profiles, lager lout behaviour, dressing room cliquishness and “lads about the town, what happens on tour stays on tour” attitude. As much as I rate Shane Warne as a cricketer, he definitely belongs in this group, along with equivalent oafs like Andrew Symonds and David Warner.

 

[BD-fan]

If there was any cricketer I liked from Australia, it had to be Steve Waugh. The way he played the game, the way he conducted himself during adversary, the way he strategized. Top class.

Because of people like Warne (over rated, egotistic) and Allen Border (most selfish cricket player ever to wear a baggy green hat) Waugh's image is tarnished every now and then.

 

[ManFan]

It worked out in the end, did it not?

Warne was dropped for the Fourth Test which the Australians won and thus retained the Frank-Worell Trophy.

The leg-spinner then went through the first time in his career doubts about his abilities.

Which culminated in the Semi-Finals and then Finals of the 1999 World Cup.

Who did Waugh turn to break the SA partnership of 48-0 in 12 overs chasing 214 on a non-turning cold Edgbaston wicket?

 

[Badsha]

There seem to be two major groups of Aussie cricketer.

The first is the quieter, classier, hard-working “team before individual” type who just wants to get on with the job in hand and deliver results for Australian cricket - like Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Steve Waugh. They are respected by fans around the world.

The second type sadly seems to be slightly more common. They take a particular dislike to the first type and are generally known for their playboy profiles, lager lout behaviour, dressing room cliquishness and “lads about the town, what happens on tour stays on tour” attitude. As much as I rate Shane Warne as a cricketer, he definitely belongs in this group, along with equivalent oafs like Andrew Symonds and David Warner.

Isn't that every team?

England has had their share of Collingoowd vs Flintoff for example

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

He was selfish may be that's why he became the captain.

 

[Robert]

Hmmmm.

There was an occasion where he seemed more interested in scoring a ton than protecting the tail and Engkand snatched a test win.

On the other hand he got so many clutch runs, getting Australia into winning positions.

I saw him get 152* in overcast conditions at Lord’s. He put on 130 for the eighth wicket with Lawson which was a bit of a killer - they hit England all over the park and Lawson outscored Waugh. Though I did meet Graeme McKenzie.

 

[BD-fan]

Look how silly Warne looks in this episode: Warne says,
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/24856300/felt-totally-let-dropped-me

"He became a completely different person when he took over as captain... It wasn't that he dropped me. I have no issue about being dropped if I'm not performing; if you don't perform, out you go. But there was more to it than my performances - I think it was jealousy. He started to niggle away, telling me to look at my diet and spend more time on deciding what sort of person I wanted to be in my life, how to conduct myself - that sort of stuff. I said, 'Mate - worry about yourself."

People don't understand who is the one trying to help him. Here Waugh is trying to help him and Warne is taking it the other way. Little mind confused.

 

[James]

Isn't that every team?

England has had their share of Collingoowd vs Flintoff for example

English cricketers are generally dull and straight-batted.

If anything the lack of showbiz-friendly characters (or even strong personalities) in English cricket is always something that is bemoaned by our press - and yet, when we actually get one, then we can’t handle it.

Boycott, Botham, Flintoff and Pietersen had great careers but were mostly rejected by the establishment, whereas Australian cricket finds a way to incorporate equally massive egos into the dressing room and yet does not micromanage them.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Waugh was a pretty intense character, we all know the types : highly driven, goal oriented, perfectionist, obsessive, set a lot in store in symbolism and totems*, neurotic, somewhat socially inept. These sorts stop at nothing to achieve their goals and don't care which toes they have to tread on to get their way. The problem with this approach is that it often comes across as very selfish even if at the end of the day, the collective tends to benefit from the single-mindedness of such individuals.

Steve Waugh didn't behave like the the archetypical Australian captain. He was not a lad's lad who could coerce his team to great heights through fair dinkum tactical intelligence and good-natured empathy like Tubby, nor was he someone who led from the front and wore his heart on the sleeve in the mode of AB or Chappelli, he used to send out a nightwatchman to protect his wicket during the last hour of a day's play and he cared about statistics. People like Ian Chappell and Warne will take these grudges to the grave.

*Recall an image doing the rounds back in the day after Australia demolished England inside 4 days at Edgbaston in 2001, some of the team ambled off to Wimbledon to support Pat Rafter against Goran Ivanesevic the following Monday, Warne and Waugh were sitting together, Warne in casual half-sleeved shirt and trademark sun glasses, whereas Waugh was proudly sporting his tattered baggy green. It was a sickening display of the importance of symbols in his mind.

 

[Savak]

Lol, the only one appearing selfish here is Warne. The team comes first before the individual and a captain has every right to make these selfish decisions for the team's best interest

 

[Savak]

Michael Slater is also bitter against Steve Waugh for axing him in favor of Mathew Hayden, Justin Langer.

 

[Badsha]

English cricketers are generally dull and straight-batted.

If anything the lack of showbiz-friendly characters (or even strong personalities) in English cricket is always something that is bemoaned by our press - and yet, when we actually get one, then we can’t handle it.

Boycott, Botham, Flintoff and Pietersen had great careers but were mostly rejected by the establishment, whereas Australian cricket finds a way to incorporate equally massive egos into the dressing room and yet does not micromanage them.

I guess it all depends on the culture too. We also mistreated Akhtar poorly

 

[Snowflake]

There seem to be two major groups of Aussie cricketer.

The first is the quieter, classier, hard-working “team before individual” type who just wants to get on with the job in hand and deliver results for Australian cricket - like Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Steve Waugh. They are respected by fans around the world.

The second type sadly seems to be slightly more common. They take a particular dislike to the first type and are generally known for their playboy profiles, lager lout behaviour, dressing room cliquishness and “lads about the town, what happens on tour stays on tour” attitude. As much as I rate Shane Warne as a cricketer, he definitely belongs in this group, along with equivalent oafs like Andrew Symonds and David Warner.

Completely agree. Also, I believe the reason why Michael Clarke never truly got along with his teammates was because he belonged to the, what you described as, the first type of Aussie cricketers while being surrounded by the second type.

On topic though, Warne is such a child that I don't even find such statements by him surprising anymore. Great cricketer but an immature idiot.

 

[Snowflake]

I guess it all depends on the culture too. We also mistreated Akhtar poorly

Akhtar wouldn't have survived a day in the Australian set up with that attitude.

 

[giri26]

Strange comments by Warne. Waugh as I remember during his playing days was a tough player who only intention was to win the game for Australia. There was nothing selfish about his approach or attitude towards the game.

 

[wrongun]

Not selfish.

Highly professional.

He wanted to win at any cost and if Warne not bowling well was a hindrance, he chose to drop him. He would have dropped anyone if he thought it would make Australia win.

In hindsight, it was a smashing decision as Australia squared the series.

Warnie is just being a bit sensitive here.

Correct. In fact the selfish thing is Warne wanting to play even though he said himself his shoulder wasn't right and he'd been bowling pies all series. To Warne, himself playing is more important than the country winning the Test.

Warne was a great bowler but has no self insight or analytical skills. In the same breath he accuses Waugh of being selfish he then goes on to tell how he threw a huge sulk about being dropped and became a negative influence around the team- wallowing for himself instead of trying to help others succeed at their task. Isn't that the very definition of selfishness?

 

[giri26]

Shane Warne’s comments don’t need a response: Steve Waugh

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has delivered a short reply to Shane Warne’s statement that he was “the most selfish player” he ever played with.

In his latest book, No Spin, Warne suggested that Waugh was only interested in keeping his Test batting average. The feud between the two former team-mates is no secret and dates back to 1999 when Warne was dropped from the Test team during a tour of the West Indies after managing two wickets in three matches. In 2016, during a reality show, the legspinner slammed Waugh as the most selfish player he had encountered while listing out reasons he did not like him.

Waugh on Thursday stated that he “didn’t need to justify anything” he did as captain.

“I’m responding [to Warne] by not responding because I don’t think it needs a response,” he said on ABC’s News Breakfast.

On the decision to drop Warne from the Test squad in 1999, Waugh said: “I had to make a decision as a captain and as a leader. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to make that decision but I did it for the benefit of the team. You’ve got to have loyalty to a certain degree but you can’t have blind loyalty. I guess that’s what Shane expected on that occasion. I had to make a decision. I got on fine with Shane we had a great relationship. As a leader you’re put in a tough position sometimes but that’s why you’re a leader.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news/shane-warnes-comments-dont-need-a-response-steve-waugh-759246

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the record AGAIN & I’ve said this 1000 times - I do not hate S Waugh at all. FYI - I picked him in my all time best Australian team recently. Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer that I ever played with and this stat....... <a href="https://t.co/QMigV788L7">https://t.co/QMigV788L7</a></p>— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne/status/1261289353600364544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Zaz]

Well from that stat it does seem there maybe have been a selfish streak to him if true

 

[ElRaja]

hahaha, i saw that and thought of warnie, but fwiw waugh had to have some level of arrogance and self importance about himself to develop the team he did, given he had to impose himself on plenty of flamboyant characters.

 

[Savak]

Is there anyone that Warne hasn't slagged. He even Slagged Tendulkar for the all stars tournaments not carrying on. There is no wonder why this guy never captained Australia.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Love Warne, he is the greatest spinner of all time. However what's his whinge here? He was terrible during the WI tour and was rightfully dropped, no player should be bigger than the team. I like Steve as a person but hated him as a player but I have no doubt Steve did the right thing by dropping Warne during the WI tour of 99.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Of course, Warne has always been correct about Waugh. Anyone that closely followed their careers would know that.

It doesn't mean that Warne doesn't hold a grudge and never misses out on an opportunity to pile on the criticism.

I doubt it ruffles Waugh in any way though, which probably annoys Warne even more.

 

[Zaz]

Hes probably right There was a selfish streak to his play more to do with self preservation probably dating back from the late 80s and he was dropped and struggling but really warne needs to let it go I mean hes 50 plus and retired for 13yrs Let it go man and move on Thats history

 

[proud_pakistani]

Warne can say all he wants in the end Waughs decision turned out to be correct as Australia won the test.

Great captains aren't emotional and are ready to take the tough decisions which Waugh did. I am sure dropping Warne was not a popular decision and had it backfired he would have been criticized heavily.

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

In the vast vacant chamber of a sporting world without sport, everything echoes. Last weekend, it was Shane Warne versus Steve Waugh.

This bemused Waugh. "People keep saying it's a feud," he said. "But to me, a feud's between two people. I've never bought into it, so it's just one person."

As it happens, Warne also says it's about just one person. "Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer I ever played with," tweeted Warne. It could have been a cut-and-paste of a cut-and-paste of a cut-and-paste.

Always, the charge is the same: selfishness. Warne says it is not personal. "For the record AGAIN & I've said this 1000 times - I do not hate S Waugh at all," he tweeted this week. Then: "Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer that I ever played with, and this stat … [he runs out of characters]". It takes the flipperish dexterity of Warne to say that calling someone selfish is not personal. It's yes/no/wait/sorry.

Waugh has defended his 1999 captaincy several times. "I had to make a decision, as a captain and a leader" he told the ABC in 2018. "I didn't want to make that decision but I did it for the benefit of the team."

But he has let the rest slide, though on Monday the merest exasperation with Warne showed. "His comments are a reflection of himself, nothing to do with me," he said. "That's all I'd say."

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/cricket/warne-still-fighting-the-last-waugh-20200518-p54u30.html

 

[Thomaskutty]

Shane is projecting his own ego and selfishness onto Steve Waugh. He is angry with Waugh for dropping him in one test. I am surprised nobody's called him out for this level of entitlement that he felt.

 

[Ab Fan]

Selfish or whatever, I could only recall that whenever Australia used to tour India, Ponting and Warne more often than not disappointed while Steve Waugh would play clutch knocks and make life harder for Indian team.

 

[MenInG]

Responding to what he makes of Shane Warne’s recent comments directed towards his “selfish” behaviour as Australia captain, Steve Waugh said he has “never bought” into jibes at him made by Warne. He said he had no “feud” with Warne as it has always been the spinner saying things about him and Waugh not responding.

“People keep saying it’s a feud. But to me, a feud’s between two people. I’ve never bought into it, so it’s just one person,” the World Cup winning-skipper was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Reacting to a statistic that Waugh held the dubious record of being involved in most run-outs, Warne tweeted recently: “Wow! So S Waugh was involved in the most ever run outs in test cricket (104) & ran his partner out 73 times – is that correct? Mmmmmmmmm.”

“For the record AGAIN & I’ve said this 1000 times – I do not hate S Waugh at all. FYI – I picked him in my all time best Australian team recently. Steve was easily the most selfish cricketer that I ever played with and this stat,” he said in another tweet.

Warne has made no secret of his animosity towards his former skipper, with the dispute between them having surfaced since Warne got dropped during a Test tour of the West Indies in 1999.

Warne had called Waugh the “most selfish cricketer” in his autobiography in 2018 as well. “Steve Waugh was the most selfish player I ever played with and was only worried about averaging 50,” he had said.

Waugh, for his part, has always said that he does not feel the need to respond to events that have happened two decades ago and that whatever decisions he took as captain were for the good of the team.

https://indianexpress.com/article/s...gh-responds-shane-warne-selfish-jibe-6419615/

 

[Nasty Naz]

That story makes me want Waugh to coach our team.

No one player should be above the team. The team comes first before a player's seniority & pride. It's attitude like that where nepotism begins and players just keep being rewarded and played because of past performance.

 

[viveks]

Did anyone watch the video fully? Personally I watched the first 10 minutes, it seemed to me as if it was mostly quick singles and twos in ODIs, particularly in the death overs. Don't think it was selfish, some bad calling though

 

[therealAB]

Hypocrisy of the highest order. Warne still mad about being dropped

 

[andy0204]

If Steve Waugh was selfish he wouldn't have played you in 1999 world cup
Nor he would've played you in Indian tours where MacGill was already there as second option.
Yes I agree that Waugh was selfish but now Warne is talking about that again and again that makes Warne a hypocrite.

 

[sweep_shot]

I am a bit surprised by this comment from Warne. I thought they had a great relation.

 

[ManFan]

Warne is such a toxic character that it’s a testament to his great skill as a leg-spinner.

Otherwise, what other board would tolerate so much none sense from someone who never even held the captaincy?

Tugga was a stoic professional and his cold-shoulder treatment to the mischievous ones masked his steel loyalty to his teammates.

There’s a reason why he was the most successful Test captain of his time.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Warne is such a toxic character that it’s a testament to his great skill as a leg-spinner.

Otherwise, what other board would tolerate so much none sense from someone who never even held the captaincy?

Tugga was a stoic professional and his cold-shoulder treatment to the mischievous ones masked his steel loyalty to his teammates.

There’s a reason why he was the most successful Test captain of his time.

Yes, the reason was that he had Warne and McGrath in his bowling attack. He seemed clueless without them when India toured in 2003/04.

 

[ManFan]

Yes, the reason was that he had Warne and McGrath in his bowling attack. He seemed clueless without them when India toured in 2003/04.

You could make the same argument for Lloyd, Richards, Kohli, etc.

A great captain makes use of the players his board has selected.

You ever wonder why after 2004, the Australian team hasn’t been the same? Sure, they haven’t had ATG’s like before but their talent has surpassed anyone else’s.

And by the way, India could still only draw that series.

 

[Last Monetarist]

You could make the same argument for Lloyd, Richards, Kohli, etc.

A great captain makes use of the players his board has selected.

You ever wonder why after 2004, the Australian team hasn’t been the same? Sure, they haven’t had ATG’s like before but their talent has surpassed anyone else’s.

And by the way, India could still only draw that series.

The Australian team under Ponting (while he had McGrath and Warne) was just as dominant as any of Waugh's sides. Ponting had a comparable record to Waugh during that period.

The fact that Waugh somehow contrived to allow his side to go wicketless during a whole day in Kolkata in 2001 after being so far ahead in the test shows that he was not a great captain under pressure and lacked imagination when Plan A didn't work. I just think it's unfair to conclude he was the best captain during that era simply because of win-loss records. I reckon Ganguly, Hussain and Fleming were arguably better captains given the resources they had.

 

[andy0204]

The Australian team under Ponting (while he had McGrath and Warne) was just as dominant as any of Waugh's sides. Ponting had a comparable record to Waugh during that period.

The fact that Waugh somehow contrived to allow his side to go wicketless during a whole day in Kolkata in 2001 after being so far ahead in the test shows that he was not a great captain under pressure and lacked imagination when Plan A didn't work. I just think it's unfair to conclude he was the best captain during that era simply because of win-loss records. I reckon Ganguly, Hussain and Fleming were arguably better captains given the resources they had.

Yup and during Lara's 153 knock Waugh also looked clueless,Mark Taylor was the best captain of Australia in last 25 years.

 

[MenInG]

Australian cricket history is full of many great brotherly combinations: there’s the Chappells, the Waughs, the Husseys – and the Lees.
Alongside firebrand paceman Brett was older brother Shane, who also managed to represent the green and gold in One Day International cricket in a more-than-handy career.

The hard-hitting, medium-pace all-rounder rose to prominence alongside his lightning-quick brother in the late 1990s, finishing with best figures for Australia of 33/5 (against Sri Lanka), and playing for almost a decade at First Class level for New South Wales and in English county cricket.

Now, he’s opened up on his upbringing in The Betoota Advocate Podcast – and revealed his hilarious first meeting with Shane Warne.

“About 14-15, I only ever thought I was going to play for Australia,” Lee said.

“The backyard games were really competitive. I was the oldest so I’d bat first and Brett would bowl.

“Poor younger brother Grant – nicknamed Dud – he had to field. So he retired at 19!”

Grant, he says, is now a chartered accountant. And Brett became one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history – as well as a cult hero in the early 2000s. According to Shane, he deserves a little credit for that: “I definitely bullied him around.”

Shane and Brett became something of a double-act for NSW. But when Shane got his Australian call-up, there was another double-act in the offing.

“I remember the ‘96 World Cup, I was first selected as a young 23-year-old all-rounder. We got there and Warnie was really nice to me and sort of took me in. He was going: ‘Me and you, it’s going to be The Shane Show’.

“Steve Waugh pulled me aside and said ‘Mate, do you remember when you were at school and there was a kid at school that had no mates. And this new kid comes to school and the kid with no mates was all over the new kid. You’re that new kid and Warnie’s the kid with no mates.’”

The Shane Show didn’t work out so well in practice.

During the opening ceremony of the World Cup – hosted by Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka – Lee says, “Each player from around the world was walked out by an Indian model … He (Shane) said ‘I’ll get the best two for us, (repeatedly talking up) ‘The Shane Show, the Shane Show’.’

“We had one drink and we’re going back thinking it’s all going to happen, and we got there and there’s a whole extended family there and we spent the whole night signing autographs and having a bloody meal!

“I said ‘The Shane Show, really?’ He said ‘Don’t tell the boys that!’”

The Lee brothers weren’t just a hit on the field – they were also a stellar act on stage, part of the rock band ‘Six & Out’. Brett was on bass, Shane on guitar, and three other NSW players (Richard Chee Quee, Brad McNamara, and Gavin Robertson) filled out the line-up.

Shane takes a bit of the credit for Brett’s cricketing career, after all those backyard sessions. And given their band, maybe he deserves a bit of credit for Brett’s musical fame in Bollywood too.

As for Warnie, Lee says: “He’s the best cricketer I ever saw or played with. He was a freak of a cricketer.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...e/news-story/15765c976b45ce80bdc9da863932c44b

 

[MenInG]

This is no hidden secret that former Australia captain Steve Waugh and Aussie spin legend Shane Warne have not been on the best of terms over the years. It is widely believed that the tensions between the two started when Waugh, in his first tour as captain to West Indies in 1999, had dropped Warne from the team for the 4th and final Test in Antigua. Former Australia captain Mark Taylor, in an interview to Australia news channel ‘Channel 9’s’ Sports Sunday show in May had also pinpointed the same instance as the start of tensions between the two.

Speaking to former England captain Michael Atheron on Sky Sports Cricket Youtube channel, Waugh recalled the 1999 tour of West Indies and explained the reasons behind the ‘big decision’ that he had to make.

“It was my first tour as captain to West Indies. As a captain you are expected to make difficult decisions. That’s why you are given the job. You are not there to please everyone. I always wanted to be loyal to be my players to a certain point, but at the end of the day, you gotta be loyal to the team and their performance,” Waugh said.

Waugh recalled that he had a chat with the leg-spinner about the team before the fourth Test. “I, sort of, approached it with Shane before the Test match. Before the match, we had a function, so we had a live chat and I mentioned a few things. It wasn’t a complete shot and the next day I went to a team meeting. It was Geoff Marsh, Shane Warne and me.

“Back in those days, when you are on tour, the two players and the coach picked the team, the selectors didn’t have anything to do with it. I found it strange, because you had selectors picking team for series at home, but on away tours it was up to the captain to basically make the decision. Warnie had just come back from a shoulder surgery. I think he was put back into the team too quickly. We had both Stuart Macgill and him in the previous Test, turning the ball the same way. Lara, and all the left-handers were hitting with the spin, and I just thought it was the right decision.

“I didn’t consult too many players. I think, when you are consult too many people, as a captain, you get confused. At the end of the day, you are there to make the decision, it was a tough one, of course,” the 1999 ODI World Cup winning captain said.

Waugh decided to pick spinners Colin Miller and Stuart Macgill instead of Warne in the 4th and final Test. Australia won the Test by 176 runs and the series was levelled at 2-2.

“You’ve got to trust your get instinct sometimes. Other people are always going to have their opinions. It was never going to be a popular decision, and had we lost the Test, my head would have been on the chopping blocks, but thankfully we won the Test and end up drawing the series,” Waugh added.

The former Aussie captain further said that in a way, he was trying to protect Warne, who was not in his best of form. “Looking back, I think it was the right decision, but it was also the making of me as a captain because I can make that big decision that was not going to be easy but I knew it was beneficial for the team at the time. In a lot of way, I was trying to protect Shane, because he wasn’t bowling well at the time. Obviously, he didn’t see that way, but if we had gone on to lose on the next Test, it wouldn’t have been good for anyone,” he added.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...nst-windies/story-7Dc6fR8j3MoctCFBsZZWrO.html

 

[sindhiboy]

And Warne was the most pious cricketer to ever grace the earth.
Stuart mcgill was more successful in india than him.

 

[someone21]

hard to understand how this Aussie team became so successful.

So many egos, fights, hostility which is why many great teams have failed, yet Aus team succeeded despite it.

 

[topspin]

There seem to be two major groups of Aussie cricketer.

The first is the quieter, classier, hard-working “team before individual” type who just wants to get on with the job in hand and deliver results for Australian cricket - like Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Steve Waugh. They are respected by fans around the world.

The second type sadly seems to be slightly more common. They take a particular dislike to the first type and are generally known for their playboy profiles, lager lout behaviour, dressing room cliquishness and “lads about the town, what happens on tour stays on tour” attitude. As much as I rate Shane Warne as a cricketer, he definitely belongs in this group, along with equivalent oafs like Andrew Symonds and David Warner.

What about Michael Clarke?

 

[Bewal Express]

These guys hated each other but that didn't affect their performances. In PK cases are players hated each other,with the added dimensions of match fixing, a lack of education and a terrible board and what should have been a golden period in our cricketing history ended up as a massive failure in the 90s.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This is one of the most interesting feuds in cricket for me. Personally, I think there is more animosity on Warne's side then there is on Waugh's because Warnie never seems to have gotten over being dropped against West Indies in 1999 by Waugh. Amazing thing is that this long-standing feud never affected either player's performance or the Australian team's for that matter. Whereas, the Pakitan team as we know has capitulated many times because of far pettier dressing room disputes.

Say what you will about Aussie team culture and some of their tactics and I despise the over-the-top matey culture and talking in cliches part that was visible in the documentary but Aussie players have a drive to succeed unlike any team. Its a success of their system.

 

[MenInG]

To this day Steve Waugh remains one of Australian cricket’s most revered captains — and one of the country’s most respected athletes — but he may never have reached that status if not for a horrific on-field accident.

Waugh began his Test captaincy career in 1999 after Mark Taylor retired and he started his reign by retaining the Frank Worrell Trophy in a dramatic 2-2 series draw against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Next stop was Sri Lanka, but things took a disastrous turn for the new skipper. He was involved in a sickening collision with fast bowler Jason Gillespie in the first Test in Kandy when going for a catch that saw both men hospitalised.

Waugh broke his nose and Gillespie broke his leg. While it was shocking at the time, looking back, Waugh believes it was the turning point in his captaincy.

Up until then, he wasn’t doing things his way, instead relying too much on others to provide guidance on how to lead. But lying in hospital facing the possibility he might not play another Test — let alone captain again — Waugh decided to make a change.

“At 33 it still probably took me 6-12 months to realise my style. I was still probably leading by consensus a bit early on because I’d been mates with these guys (teammates) for a long period of time and all of a sudden I was the leader,” Waugh told Damian Barrett on a recent episode of the AFL journalist’s podcast In The Game.

“So having to separate myself a little bit from the rest of the guys was a challenge.

“I finally realised that when I was in a hospital bed in Colombo with a broken nose and Jason Gillespie had a broken leg.

“I was sitting there in a hospital bed thinking, ‘If I never get to captain again, have I done myself justice? Had I done it my way?’ And the answer was, no I hadn’t.

“From that point on I said just trust my gut instinct and do it my way. And that was probably the turning point in my captaincy career.

“I wasn’t a certainty to play the next Test. I had compound fractures of my nose and … all these other broken bones, so I was thinking maybe I’m not going to play the next Test and if I don’t, somebody else will be captain and I might never get the chance to do it again.

“That was the moment where I sat down and thought, ‘OK, from now on I’ve got to do it my way’ — and listen to a few people but not listen to a lot of people.

“I think the problem is, or one of the hard things about captaincy is, you get a lot of advice from a lot of different people and they all want to tell you how to do it.

“You’ve got to work out who are the people you trust and stick to the ones … you really respect.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to look in the mirror and make those tough decisions yourself and that was one of those moments where I thought, ‘I’m not doing it the right way, let’s turn it around and do it differently’.

Waugh’s change in approach certainly worked. He led Australia to 41 wins from 57 Tests in charge — including a world record 16 consecutive victories in 2000-2001.

Known for his ruthless approach to cricket — best symbolised by his penchant for the “mental disintegration” of opponents — Waugh said he didn’t mind how he came across, as long as is benefited the team.

“My leadership was about getting the best out of people. I really enjoyed seeing people fulfil their potential,” he told Barrett.

“One thing I didn’t want to see as a leader or a captain was the team to be complacent and not realise how good they were.

“For me it was always about trying to raise the bar. If that came across as cold-blooded and ruthless that was fine, but I was just maximising our potential. That’s all I was trying to do.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...g/news-story/a8aeab4c3fcafcfdff61584e36e745ca

 

[Giannis]

Look how silly Warne looks in this episode: Warne says,
http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/24856300/felt-totally-let-dropped-me

People don't understand who is the one trying to help him. Here Waugh is trying to help him and Warne is taking it the other way. Little mind confused.

In western culture we don't appreciate unsolicited advice, Waugh was treading into desi territory by invading Warne's personal space.

 

[Varun]

Is there anybody that Warne likes??

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Is there anybody that Warne likes??

Ironically ,Kevin Pietersen .

 

[Bhaijaan]

He's talking about Eden Gardens partnership and targetting Stev Waugh again )

Said he shouldn't have enforced follow on

 

[Nikhil_cric]

The Australian team under Ponting (while he had McGrath and Warne) was just as dominant as any of Waugh's sides. Ponting had a comparable record to Waugh during that period.

The fact that Waugh somehow contrived to allow his side to go wicketless during a whole day in Kolkata in 2001 after being so far ahead in the test shows that he was not a great captain under pressure and lacked imagination when Plan A didn't work. I just think it's unfair to conclude he was the best captain during that era simply because of win-loss records. I reckon Ganguly, Hussain and Fleming were arguably better captains given the resources they had.

I agree with Waugh not being great under pressure and lacking imagination. He was one of those who lead by example with his performances and was brilliant at tightening the noose around an opponent when Australia were already on top. Taylor was a better captain imo and so was Michael Clarke. But I think Warme is simply running his mouth at this point.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Is there anybody that Warne likes??

He didnt like gilly and steve Waugh. That's it. A lot of Aussies had issues with each other in those days. Junior and mark taylor seem to have been the only ones that everybody liked.

 

[therealAB]

I agree with Waugh not being great under pressure and lacking imagination. He was one of those who lead by example with his performances and was brilliant at tightening the noose around an opponent when Australia were already on top. Taylor was a better captain imo and so was Michael Clarke. But I think Warme is simply running his mouth at this point.

Waugh's magic as a captain was not his tactical ability, where he was merely above average. What he did was turn a very good team into a team that won more than any other team in history. The focus on aggressive cricket came from Waugh.
The other thing he did was helped to keep Australia on top. He did not run the team down, like Richards had done in the WI. He gave a brilliant team to Ponting, and that is his finest achievement

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Waugh's magic as a captain was not his tactical ability, where he was merely above average. What he did was turn a very good team into a team that won more than any other team in history. The focus on aggressive cricket came from Waugh.
The other thing he did was helped to keep Australia on top. He did not run the team down, like Richards had done in the WI. He gave a brilliant team to Ponting, and that is his finest achievement

I'd give credit to Taylor for that as well, actually. The Waughs, Slater, Warne, Mcgrath all came unto their own as players under his captaincy and he forged that team . I'm not sure Steve Waugh was the kind of leader to inspire greatness from his players. He captained a side that had already achieved quite a bit.

 

[Fahdi]

Cruel memories of the 1999 Test against West Indies for which he was axed are still fresh in former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne’s mind. In fact, Warne revealed that he felt, “totally let down” by Australia’s then captain Steve Waugh when he was dropped from the playing XI for the fourth Test.

Warne also termed his captain as “the most selfish player I ever played with, and was only worried about averaging 50″.

During their tour of the Caribbean, Waugh was appointed Test captain and Warne as his deputy. Australia won the first Test by 312 runs, but Brian Lara’s sublime centuries in the next two ensured West Indies stormed back. West Indies were leading 2-1 into the final Test in Antigua. Warne’s figures in the first three Tests were a poor two wickets at 134.00.

In an extract from his book, Warne describes how the selection meeting panned out before the final Test.

“I was vice-captain and bowling pretty ordinary and Tugga [Waugh] opened the selection meeting between the two of us and Geoff Marsh, the coach, by saying, ‘Warney, I don’t think you should play this next Test.’

“Silence. ‘Er, right,’ I said. ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t think you’re bowling very well, mate.’ ‘Yes… fair call,’ I admitted. ‘My shoulder [after surgery] is taking longer than I thought but it’s close now. The feel is slowly coming back and then the rhythm will come, mate. I’m not worried.’”

Warne wrote that he found support in Allan Border, who was part of the selection committee at that time. “I back Warney every time. The situation is made for him. Anyway, we owe him. Think of what he’s done for Australian cricket. We need to show faith,” Warne wrote.

Warne wrote that Waugh was adamant that he has to be dropped. “No, I appreciate your thoughts, AB, but Warney’s not playing. I’m going with my gut here. Sorry, guys.”

Australia squared the series, but not without a disappointed Warne. “Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend,” he wrote.

“I conducted myself badly, to be honest. I wasn’t that supportive of the team, which I regret. Looking back, this was probably a combination of the shoulder issue still eating away at me and the pure anger bubbling inside at Steve’s lack of trust.

“During the first three Tests, at various times some of the bowlers came to me, grumbling about Tugga’s captaincy and field placements and stuff. I said I was backing him to the hilt and if they had a problem with the captain they should go see him direct. Perhaps because of this, I was deeply disappointed that he didn’t back me in return.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...-player-i-ever-played-with-shane-warne-751200

Seems like a true professional to me. I wish we had a few more guys like Waugh in the country and not just in cricket.

 

[coy0607]

I watch a lot of sports, cricket and otherwise, and its rare to see a team so comprehensively dominant as Aus was over an extended period of time (99-04).

I know that team had 6-7 ATG's, but Steve Waugh was the unquestionable leader of the side. If selfishness is one of the traits that makes a great captain, then I want a shellfish captain.

PS - I don't think its selfish for a batsmen to want to average 50. What is wrong with that?

 

[Last Monetarist]

I agree with Waugh not being great under pressure and lacking imagination. He was one of those who lead by example with his performances and was brilliant at tightening the noose around an opponent when Australia were already on top. Taylor was a better captain imo and so was Michael Clarke. But I think Warme is simply running his mouth at this point.

Yup, Warne has been running his mouth and embarrassing himself with respect to being dropped at Antigua, but he lacks humility so will probably never get over it.

In terms of Australian test captains that I have seen, I'd have Waugh below Taylor, Border, Clarke and Ponting:

1. Taylor
2. Border
3. Clarke
4. Ponting
5. Waugh