5 most famous Steves of cricket
Cricketer's names are household entities, especially in a country like ours where we don't hesitate in hero-worshipping our representatives of the sport. Stories of children being named after their parent's favourite cricketers are innumerable: Sunil Gavaskar naming his son after legendary West Indian batsman Rohan Kanhai being a noteworthy example.
With cricket being a global sport there are many around the world who happen to share their names. But does a certain common name link many famous people associated with the gentlemen's game? The examples are many and this article talks about one such name - Steve.
Steve Waugh
Legendary Australian captain Steve Waugh is perhaps the most famous and successful cricketer with the name 'Steve'. Waugh is one of the most ruthlessly competitive cricketers to have graced the game, his calm exterior never giving anything away to the opposition.
An aggregator of more than 10,000 Test runs across a then-record 168 matches, Steve Waugh successfully led Australia in the 1999 World Cup in addition to 15 victories in their famous run of 16 consecutive Test wins.
With a win percentage of 71.93 in Tests and 63.21 in ODIs, the stylish right-handed batsman is one of the most successful captains of all time. Keeping aside the stats that prove his credentials as a legend of the game, it was the culture that he infused in the Australian team that will always be remembered.
Waugh turned his team into a merciless invincible force that not just defeated opponents on the cricket field but also in their minds. The famous 'mind games' are a product of Waugh's tactics to mentally deflate his opponents in order to win advantage over them and pounce on the same.
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