Published 17:00 IST, July 5th 2020
Steve Waugh reveals the reason behind his 'big decision' of dropping Shane Warne in 1999
Steve Waugh remembered that during his first Windies tour as a skipper, he was expected to make some difficult decisions, that is why he was given the job
Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh and veteran spinner Shane Warne have never seemed to have gotten along. The duo has often had sort of tension between them with plenty of verbal attacks. The relationship between the skipper and the spinner is believed to have turned sour when Waugh dropped Warne for the fourth and final Test of the series against West Indies in 1999.
Recalling the decision, Waugh while speaking to Sky Sports revealed the reason behind his call to drop Warne and its measured consequences. Waugh remembered that during his first Windies tour as a skipper, he was expected to make some difficult decisions, that is why he was given the job and not to 'please everyone.' "I always wanted to be loyal to my players to a certain point, but at the end of the day, you gotta be loyal to the team and their performance," Waugh told Sky Sports.
The then Aussie skipper reasoned that Shane Warne had just come off shoulder surgery and he believed that he was put back into the team 'too quickly.' The Aussies had played Stuart Macgill and Warne together in the previous test and the Windies including legend Brian Lara were hitting with the spin and that is why he thought it was the 'right decision' to drop Warne.
“I didn’t consult too many players. I think, when you consult too many people, as a captain, you get confused. At the end of the day, you are there to make the decision, it was a tough one, of course,” the 1999 ODI World Cup-winning captain said. Eventually, Australia won the Test by 176 runs and the series was tied at 2-2. However, Waugh remarked that it is necessary to 'trust your instincts' sometimes and not go by the popular decision. "Had we lost the test, my head would have been on chopping blocks," the skipper added.
The former Aussie captain further said that in a way, he was trying to protect Warne, who was not in his best of form, adding that it was the 'right decision' and obviously Warne did not see it that way but had the Australians lost the test, it would not have been good for anyone.
Updated 17:00 IST, July 5th 2020