Steve Waugh Refers to Indian Cricket Fans as “Gods”

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh believes that it is definitely easier in Australia when it comes to the retirement of big names. Speaking in the context of M S Dhoni’s retirement, Waugh said that it becomes difficult in India when it comes to moving on from players who have obtained legendary status because of the huge number of people in the country that follow cricket with great passion.

“It’s interesting. Australia definitely do that. It doesn’t matter who you are because you have got to move on,” Waugh told PTI when asked about Cricket Australia’s retirement policy and his own exit from international scene in early 2004.

But Waugh, one of Australia’s most successful skippers, felt that the situation was completely different in India stressing on the impact of the cricket fans in the sub-continent.

“Maybe in the sub-continent you get a bit more leeway with 1.4 billion people following you. People no longer remain people. They become legends, Gods. It’s very hard to move on,” he said.

But he also referred to Dhoni as still being great and able to compete at the top level. “It becomes increasingly challenging when people get to a certain age. Mahendra Singh Dhoni you are referring to is still a great player,” Waugh said.

He also expressed his contentment with the Australian team’s performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. “I think it’s a fair comment that Australia have done well in the World Cup compared to where they were 12 months ago,” he said on his country’s defeat against England at Edgbaston on Thursday.

“Once they got to the semi-finals, there were high expectations. They might be disappointed this morning but overall I think Aaron Finch did great job as captain as well as a player,” Waugh, who was the captain of the 1999 World Cup winning team said.

He also stayed away from predicting the winner on Sunday’s final and said that he wsas expecting a great match. When asked to whom he would put his money in Sunday’s final between England and New Zealand at the Lord’s, he replied, “I don’t put money on sport. I expect a great final as New Zealand has been playing well. They have now reached two finals. So I expect a good match.”