Waugh sheds more light on the Australian cricket machine

Cover of book 'Steve Waugh - Captain's Diary 2002' Buy online from CricShop

Steve Waugh - Captain's Diary 2002. Published by Harper Sports.

Time may be counting down for Australian captain Steve Waugh's international cricket career, and while he continues to battle for that complete innings and more milestones, his latest diary offers even more of the fare that offers some understanding of what makes his Australian team tick.

The diary starts on January 1 this year, which means there is very little reference to the Test series against New Zealand, and that will disappoint Kiwis who, despite the series being winless for either side, thought their team had gone some way towards giving the Australians a run for their money.

But he was prepared to acknowledge the New Zealanders in the VB Series "appeared more focused and more determined than we were."

He also commented on the bonus points issue which raised its head in the latter stages of the tournament as New Zealand and South Africa utilised the rules to their own advantage.

Despite being on the losing end of the rules, Waugh said he didn't think the system should be quickly done away with. It was a system designed to reward adventurous play.

"It has worked well in domestic cricket and, when you think about it, it has added some interest to the VB Series. Rather than complain about it, we just have to play the cards we have been dealt," he wrote.

Waugh also offered some comments on his dealing with the media during the summer and it was clear there were some genuine frustrations with his relationship with the press. It all makes for colourful reading when taken from his perspective.

While the Australian cricketers continue to sweep all before them to the point where they are now fit to rank as one of the greatest of all sides, it is a timely reminder from the skipper of the team that the side lives by the three Ps - partnerships, pressure and patience.

There's nothing particularly earth-shattering in that, but it is the ability of the side to stick to those basics through all situations that make the Australians so lethal.

The All Blacks for years have had chiselled into their hearts that old Charlie Saxton dictum of rugby's three Ps - pace, possession, position. And at their peak they were highly effective.

Australia's use of their cricketing adage proved a key asset when playing their first Test against South Africa in Johannesburg last year. They went into the match with only a rain-affected build-up, but quickly slotted into the required tasks.

While the innings of wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist to break the world record for the fastest double century dominated the game, Waugh made the point that his excellence occurred because of the teamwork that had been done.

"We knew what we had to do and we went out and did it. No matter what individual records come our way, we are a team and the recognition of that fact was the basis for our great win here," he said.

Another aspect of Waugh's diaries that impress are his analyses of team-mates when they achieve something special. As in this latest diary when leg-spinner Shane Warne was due to play his 100th Test.

Waugh related that when he first saw Warne in action a decade earlier during an Australia B tour of Zimbabwe, he instantly saw him "as a genius with the ball."

He continued: "You could actually hear the ball buzzing its way through the air once it left the young man's Havana cigar-like fingers, such were the energy and revolutions he put on the ball. His delivery was angry, ferocious and aggressive, purely mesmerising in its beauty and execution. In short, he had just about the perfect leg-spinning action and a once-in-a-lifetime skill, combined with an inbuilt know-how and instinct for a duel. He seemed almost like a genetically created machine capable of inflicting anarchy on its opponents."

Waugh also talks about the psychological side of the game and the effect of negative thoughts. It is a fact that those not actually involved in high-pressure sport know nothing about, but to the sportsmen themselves it can be a huge handicap in achieving maximum performance.

"Without doubt, the roughest part about cricket - probably all big-time sport - is the negative thoughts that get inside your head. The 'little voice' can be very destructive and eat away at your confidence if you don't switch off or use it to your advantage. The best way is to know you've done everything possible with your preparation and that every base has been covered. If you have done the hard work then you can ask no more of yourself. This is when you have to trust that it will work, as long as you combine that effort with on-field concentration."

This is all Waugh says on the matter but there is the potential for a much deeper look at this aspect of sport and sports preparation. Of course, the situations are not just applicable to sport, but to life as a whole and are a fascinating area for development.

Given all the problems that have surrounded England in Australia in this summer's Ashes series, and for several before, the dropping of Waugh from the one-day team allowed him to make some observations about the county game while he played for Kent during the northern summer.

From the excellence associated with the Australian team he found himself turning out for a four-day game, straight after having batted the side to victory in a one-day match.

"The morning of the first day of the match was certainly much more relaxed than what we are accustomed to in Australia; perhaps the constant grind of unrelenting travel, practice and playing caused this less intense warm-up. Pre-match planning was minimal, mainly because it seemed everyone was familiar with everyone else's games, and I was struck by the lack of nerves and energy among the players."

While he admitted that his time frame with the side was too short to offer a more objective analysis there does seem a case could be made for having hit the nail on the head about the difference between the approach in the two countries.