Mumbai: The brother culture, in cricket, dates back to the Emersons (Denise and Ross) and the Archers (Ken and Ron) to the recent Marshalls (Hamish and James). But none could light the fire like the Waughs (Steve and Mark) did. Born on June 2, 1965, the Waugh brothers redefined the sibling tradition on the pitch with their sublime all-round effort. Today, they turn 50.
While Steve will celebrate his birthday four minutes ahead of Mark, the brothers can sit together over beer and recall the glorious years considering the early struggle and tough childhood.
Happy 50th to Steve and Mark Waugh! @AdamBurnett09's list of their greatest knocks and a POLL: http://t.co/VdTN8Y6UDG pic.twitter.com/QP4NRE3KD6
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) June 2, 2015Contrary to Mark’s ‘Hollywood’ (as Shane Warne called him) looks, they were not born with a silver spoon in the mouth. They spent their youth by the Georges river in Bankstown, a lower middle class hamlet in Sydney.
But the brothers nurtured sports from an early age as their mother, Beverly, was a tennis player in the Under-14 level. But she had to eventually discontinue to raise the kids.
Beverly had to take a loan for the house and she sent the boys to East Hill Boys School. Despite the poverty, she ensured the brothers had their cricket gear in place. According to reports, all shopkeepers used to turn her down citing that the boys were not even in the state (New South Wales) team but the game changed once Steve and Mark started umpiring in indoor cricket tournaments.
Nonetheless, Steve made his international Test debut in 1985 ( in Melbourne against India). Mark had to wait till 1991 (against England) to earn his Baggy Green cap. However, both made their ODI debut in 1986 and 1988 respectively.
Happy birthday Steve and Mark Waugh. Where were you watching from on this amazing day? http://t.co/ZDjQKye0Nm https://t.co/Xux2qhRDpl
— Cricket Video (@CricketVideo) June 2, 2015Their playing styles, much like their on-field behaviour, had a stark difference. While Steve was a certified Test player, Mark’s mojo lied in limited over cricket though both of them heaped enough runs in all formats. They share 73 tons among themselves (Steve 35, Mark 38).
Happy birthday Mark and Steve Waugh. How about these beauties from Junior?! http://t.co/ZDjQKye0Nm https://t.co/P4VuFjrOHG
— Cricket Video (@CricketVideo) June 2, 2015Both of them were versatile bowlers as well. Mark created a separate identity and style statement with his sunglass-worn off breaks. The batsman could not look eye-to-eye while facing him due to the glasses and a little margin of error could lead to trickery.
Steve was more or less on the face with his seam bowling.
Australia lifted the ICC World Cup in 1999 at Lord’s – after 12 years – under Steve’s leadership with Mark remaining unbeaten on 37 till the end of the innings, against Pakistan.
Steve literally laid the foundation (after Mark Taylor’s retirement) for the resurgence of Australian cricket and made things easier for Ricky Ponting – his successor under whom Australia completed two more World Cup wins.
Mark hit three centuries in the ICC World Cup 1996 and became the only batsman to do so then. In 1999, he completed his fourth century to be the only Australian to score more than 1000 runs in World Cup. He was one of those Australians who never had problems facing spinners in the subcontinent.
There are also stories of Steve having premonitions of Mark being dismissed a ball before, a Test before, which actually happened in the 1993 Lord's Test against England, and in the Bridgetown Test in 1995. Though there is a gap in their spinal vertebrae, they are still connected mentally.
Let’s raise a toast for the brothers.
