Tales from the Waughzone

SACKING AS ODI CAPTAIN Says his sacking as ODI captain in 2002 had come three years after chief selector Trevor Hohns had first suggested he...

SACKING AS ODI CAPTAIN

Says his sacking as ODI captain in 2002 had come three years after chief selector Trevor Hohns had first suggested he was close to being dropped. This came after Australia8217;s rough start to CWC 1999, which they eventually won. Waugh8217;s place was saved by his match-winning century in the Super Six match against South Africa

8216;8216;I was a little shocked at how cut-throat the selectors8217; attitude was.8217;8217;

Waugh said when the axe finally fell Hohns told him in his Melbourne hotel room on the day of the Allan Border medal in February 2002.

8216;8216;I didn8217;t have a problem with the decision. However, I did have an issue with the lack of man-management skills involved. Surely, after so many years playing and being the captain of a side that had been ranked no.7 when I took over and was now no.1, at least one phone call or conversation letting me know how the selectors saw the bigger picture would have been nice.8217;8217;

IAN CHAPPELL

Has little time for the former captain who once described him as a selfish cricketer, but says he was baffled as to why Chappell didn8217;t like him.

8216;8216;It might have been that I praised the work of former Test coach Bob Simpson, who was his sworn enemy, or that I didn8217;t spend hours in the bar drinking and regurgitating old cricket stories8217;8217;

MARK 038; MATCH-FIXING

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Says he was assured by his twin that he had indulged in nothing more serious than supplying match information. Also says seeing Mark walk out to bat at the Adelaide Oval to a chorus of boos after his fine was publicised was 8216;8216;one of the toughest couple of seconds of my cricket life8217;8217;.

SHANE WARNE

Waugh confirms reports from the 1999 World Cup that Warne had problems with his captaincy, and reveals the leggie to be a fierce but insecure competitor.

8216;8216;Shane needs constant support, encouragement and reassurance that he is the man8230; He loves to be loved.8217;8217;

SLEDGING AMBROSE

He lifts the lid on his most famous sledging incident 8212; a toe-to-toe confrontation with Curtly Ambrose in 1995. The episode in Trinidad has gone down as the turning point in a series that began Australia8217;s era of modern domination of Test cricket.

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Ambrose repeatedly stared down Waugh during a searing spell, and Waugh, who sized up the towering quick, said: 8216;8216;What the are you looking at?8217;8217;

8212; PTI