The Brink Of Waugh

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 17, 2004

Robert Dillon

IF Steve Waugh obliged every time he was asked to sign an autograph, RSI of the wrist would have curtailed his illustrious cricket career many years ago.

I would be surprised if any Australian in history has penned his signature more times than the outgoing Test skipper not even the late, great Sir Donald Bradman, who played in only 52 Tests compared to Waugh's 168 and was therefore less accessible to the general public.

And I doubt if at any stage in his 18-year international career has Waugh's autograph been in greater demand.

The hype surrounding his farewell Test at the SCG, and his universal popularity across the nation, would suggest he has fans approaching him bearing pens, paper and miniature bats at every opportunity.

It must become rather tedious at times.

So it was no real surprise to me that Waugh did not hang around at the conclusion of the Pura Cup clash between NSW and Victoria this week to humour the Novocastrian faithful at No.1 Sportsground.

Judging by his post-match comments, all he wanted was a bit of space.

``It's great here, but it can be hard for the players," Waugh said of his last visit to Newcastle.

``There is no privacy, no peace.

``People are continually wanting autographs. At the end of the day you've got to sign them for half an hour, so it turns into a seven-and-a-half-hour day."

Waugh's abrupt departure after the Pura Cup game was a letdown for a crowd of several hundred followers who had staked out the No.1 Sportsground grandstand.

Two NSW players, Simon Katich and Grant Lambert, emerged to fulfil the team's obligations technically, at least but the rest made prompt exits, no doubt smarting after Victoria's incredible upset victory.

``I think the big disappointment was that a lot of people stayed back to get the autographs of Steve and Mark Waugh and they didn't sign any," Newcastle District Cricket association chairman Ken Clifford explained.

But anyone who walked away disappointed from No.1 Sportsground on Monday was obviously hard to please.

Downright ungrateful, I would suggest.

There were 452 runs scored on the final day, including an incredible innings of 212 not out from Victoria's David Hussey during the second-highest run chase in interstate cricket history.

Did those fans claiming to have felt snubbed turn up to watch the cricket, or were they there solely to secure a piece of memorabilia with S.Waugh scrawled on it?

There is a valid argument, of course, that Waugh is paid millions and that part of his job involves signing autographs.

And he certainly will not get much sympathy from your average employee about having to work a ``seven-and-a-half-hour day".

But it is not as if he refused to sign autographs or deal with the fans altogether. For three days of the game, he did his share of signing, posed for photographs and even spent time with a cancer patient from Lingard Hospital.

And surely he did his bit to promote the game just by being on the field.

To tell the truth, I was surprised he even played in Newcastle.

After the frenzy surrounding his SCG swan song, it would have been all too easy for him to spend a week at home relaxing with his family.

Anyway, that is the last we will see of Steve Waugh in Newcastle as a player, although I have a sneaking suspicion he will return to the city about 12 months down the track.

Next time Tugga visits I am sure he will smile, chat and sign autographs for hundreds of fans.

As long, that is, as they are purchasing a copy of his autobiography.