The Classical Aussie Mark Waugh

Full name Mark Edward Waugh
Born June 2, 1965, Canterbury, Sydney, New South Wales
Current age 43 years 108 days
Major teams Australia, Essex, New South Wales
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium, Right-arm offbreak
Relations Brother - DP Waugh, Twin brother - SR Waugh
Test debut Australia v England at Adelaide, Jan 25-29, 1991
Last Test Australia v Pakistan at Sharjah, Oct 19-22, 2002
ODI debut Australia v Pakistan at Adelaide, Dec 11, 1988
Last ODI Australia v South Africa at Perth, Feb 3, 2002

Profile

The twin brother of Steve, Mark Waugh was one of the world's most elegant and gifted strokemakers. His game was characterised by an ability to drive, cut, pull and loft the ball so effortlessly that it could make him look disdainful of the talents of bowlers. Waugh made his name as a middle-order player for New South Wales in the late 1980s, twice winning the Sheffield Shield Cricketer of the Year titles as he built and maintained a first-class average in excess of fifty. Although he lived in the shadow of his more famous brother for a number of seasons, progression to international cricket was inevitable.


The only sour note when his promotion eventually came, for the fourth Test of the 1990-91 series against England, was that it arrived at Steve's expense. Critics took issue with Waugh's apparent loss of concentration at times and his capacity to occasionally succumb to lazy-looking shots. The weakness was on show most evidently during his disastrous 1992-93 tour to Sri Lanka when he scored four successive Test ducks, but it would be hard to find a player more difficult to contain when in full flight. To complement his batting skills, he offered handy part-time bowling as a medium-pacer-cum-offspinner and a remarkable penchant for spectacular saves and catches - he had few rivals to match his freakish brilliance in the field.

His many highlights included a world-record partnership of 464 for the fifth wicket with Steve for New South Wales against Western Australia in 1990-91; his sterling 138 on Test debut; three commanding centuries as an opener at the 1996 World Cup tournament; and 126 to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy in West Indies in 1995. The lowest moment came in late 1998 when it emerged that he and Shane Warne accepted money from an Indian bookmaker during a tour of Sri Lanka four years earlier. A laconic, unassuming character, Waugh announced his retirement from international cricket without fuss in October 2002 after losing his place in the Test squad to play England. He played on for two seasons at New South Wales, but his elegant best was behind him.