The Rediff Interview / Mark Waugh

'I'm still good enough to play one-day cricket'

Mark Waugh was born four minutes after his twin brother, Steve. The gap became rather longer -- some five years -- before he joined Steve in the Australian Test team.

From the start, sleeping and eating were two of Mark's favourite pastimes, but his new book Mark Waugh: The Biography, follows his progress from a shy and introverted young boy to one of Australia’s finest cricketers, who has played 125 Tests and amassed 8,500 runs for Australia in One-Day Internationals.

Mark is currently in the UK to promote his book and also play for Essex until the end of the season. He was also at The Oval in London on Thursday to watch England play India in the final Test. His own Test career will then resume with matches against Pakistan, followed by an Ashes series against England.

He dislikes giving interviews, but Andrew Preston caught a few words with him before the start of the India-England fourth Test.

On the eve of his 100th Test, what does Sachin Tendulkar mean to you?

I think he's a great player, one of the best modern-day players. To perform under the pressure he performs under is amazing. If he gets out, it's like the end of the day; everybody's so sad and they all want to go home. If he performs well then the team normally does well, so he’s got that pressure to deal with as well. He’s a great player to watch but on the field with him I just remember how hard he hits the ball. I had just never seen anyone hit the ball so hard.

How do you compare Tendulkar with your brother Steve?

Well, they are different sort of players, and, as I say, I think Tendulkar's the best player. The only question mark I think over the Indian players is their ability to play away from home. They don't do it very much. Steven's more of a fighter and an accumulator of runs, and he puts a high price on his wicket, whereas Tendulkar can probably win a match off his bat more easily; it's more natural to him that way, he's probably got more shots too.

What are your own cricketing goals now?

I don't really set goals; I never have. I just take one game at a time. I'd like to score a double hundred or make a few more big hundreds. I haven't ever captained a team so I'd like to do that too, whether that will happen or not I don't know. I guess my immediate goal after having had a good break is to get through the three Tests against Pakistan. I need to perform in them. Also, I've got 80 first-class hundreds so another 20 hundreds would be good. I think I'm second on the list of most hundreds for an Australian after Bradman. It would be nice to get 100 but I’m not sure whether I can do that. I think I've probably let myself down a bit with my Test average. It's in the low 40s and I should be doing better than that really. I've not scored enough runs sometimes when I've been batting well and been on top of the bowling. That's probably where I've let myself down at bit, I think.

And what about the one-day game. Do you miss it?

I'd like to play for Australia, but obviously I'm not doing that at the moment.

Yes, I do miss it because it's good fun playing for your country. And I still think I'm good enough to play one-day cricket. So, I find it a little bit annoying, but I can't do anything about it. You have to just get on and enjoy whatever cricket you're playing and try and do well.

Is it hard to get back into the one-day side if the selectors regard you as a Test player?

I think they regard me as a one-day player too, after all, I have made more runs than anyone for Australia. I think they know I can play one-day cricket. But the only way I’ll get back in is if players in the team lose form, or if there are injuries, or if they think they need some experience for the World Cup, maybe. I'm not holding my breath but I'll keep trying.

What of the accusation that you appear not to be interested in playing anymore?

That's absolute rubbish; you couldn’t play 125 Tests and not be interested.

What about the little matter of your dealings with a bookmaker? Do you think you got off lightly?

It's not for me to say, but no, I don't think so. Everyone makes mistakes; what's important is that you learn from them.

You've had a go at Nasser Hussain in the past... how do you feel about him now?

I said he was a bit temperamental when he was younger and a bit spoilt. But I've got a lot of respect for Nasser as a player and as a captain. He's really determined and very competitive. He likes proving people wrong. Like most players, when somebody says something bad about you want to prove them wrong.

Any prediction for the Ashes?

Australia to win, maybe 4-1. That'll rile the England players.

'Mark Waugh: The Biography' is published in the UK and Australia by Collins Willow, an imprint of Harper Collins publishers. It can be ordered via their website fireandwater.com

Interviews

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