Facade almost drops for Waugh

SHARJAH - For moment it looked like Steve Waugh might lose it.

During his press conference after making an unbeaten 103 against Pakistan in the third cricket Test, the Australian skipper looked ready to let some emotion squeeze through his defences.

After a prolonged run drought - his worst in 10 years - Waugh took enormous satisfaction in proving he wasn't ready for the scrapheap just yet.

Following his sacking from the one-day side, he's been under a huge amount of pressure as the Test failures mounted over the past year.

So when he reached his century he made a show of pointing his bat to the team area in a gesture of thanks.

There was also some acknowledgement to his wife Lynette, who had been in Sharjah with their daughter Rosalie for the past week. The pair flew out yesterday before play started.

"I just thanked one or two people for their inspiration," Waugh said.

"I don't want to single out anyone in particular but my wife, when she was here, said one or two things that just helped me along and a couple of guys in the side have been excellent.

"This side's got a lot of players who have a lot of depth to them and they help you out when you're struggling a bit."

At this point Waugh had to gather himself and there was no mistaking the fact that he was moved by the support he had received.

Waugh also gave some insight into how he works - and to an extent how the whole Australian team functions - when he said too much encouragement and goodwill can sometimes have the opposite effect on a player.

"You can feel the other players wanting you to do well but you don't want too much of that feeling because it can be a bit overwhelming.

"In some ways the players have to pull back a little bit just give you some encouragement, have some words here and there, which some players have done for me.

"As always (inspiration) has to come from within," Waugh added.

"People can tell you as much as they like but if it doesn't come from within it's not going to happen."

And it's typical of Waugh, now that he's ridden through the tough patch, to regard the past year, with its litany of failures and his axing from the one-day side, as a test of character.

"You don't want things to go well all the time - it's not as satisfying when you come back.

"I like a challenge and in some ways you like it not to be smooth sailing all the time, you get complacent then and take it for granted."

For Waugh it didn't get much better than yesterday.

"I've always said I haven't had my best moment in Test cricket but scoring a hundred with a six and the baggy green on top of your head - it doesn't come much better than that," he said.

These day Waugh rarely bats in his cap and is usually wearing a helmet, but on a placid pitch against a dual spin attack he was wearing his beloved but tattered baggy green cap.

And he can't recall having brought up a Test century with a six, which he did yesterday as he moved from 83 to 103 with a premeditated onslaught against legspinner Danish Kaneria, which netted two fours and two sixes in one over.

Waugh also described his innings as one of his best, coming as it did at the end of a barren period which he acknowledged had threatened to derail his captaincy.