Tough, competitive and highly skilled - as well as ruthless out on the field - Steve Waugh is the very essence of Australian cricket. Now his nation's Test captain, Waugh's international career began in the mid-1980s when Australia was a team struggling for success. Currently, there is no side more formidable in world cricket than the one he leads.
When Waugh was first drafted into the international arena - as a 20-year-old in only his second season of first-class cricket - it was for his aggressive medium-pace bowling and run scoring in the middle order that he was chosen. It was in that role (as an attacking all-rounder) that he became a major force behind Australia's World Cup win of 1987.
Back trouble has ensured that subsequent appearances at the bowling crease have been less frequent and that his tenacious batting has become the biggest factor behind his success. In the early stages of his international career he all but culled the riskier pull and hook from his repertoire to become arguably the world's most dependable contemporary batsman. Despite these modifications he has remained a highly watchable batsman with tremendous timing and power - his off-side driving (off both the back and front foot) a highlight of his play.
Throughout the past decade, Waugh has distinguished himself with his ability to produce telling innings when Australia has needed them most. Among many memorable hands, his greatest have probably been his 200 against West Indies at Sabina Park in 1995; his twin centuries against England at Old Trafford in 1997; and his daring 120 against South Africa in a must-win match at the 1999 World Cup. In January 2003, and facing increasing speculation over his age and international future, Waugh delighted the SCG crowd by resurrecting Australia's first innings with 102 against England, reaching his century with a boundary from the day's last ball.
He has also featured in many high-scoring partnerships; one of 464 with his brother Mark for New South Wales in Perth in 1990-91 and another of 385 with Greg Blewett in the Johannesburg Test of 1996-97 arguably the two most notable.
Waugh maintained the reins of the Australian one-day team between 1997-98 and 2001-02 and has been the country's Test captain since Mark Taylor's retirement from the game in early 1999. A World Cup title in 1999 and the production of an extraordinary streak of 16 consecutive Test wins stand as powerful testaments to his capabilities as a leader. After missing selection for the 2003 World Cup, he bounced back to lead NSW to titles in both the Pura and ING cups.
