Editing Steve Waugh (section)

===ODI captain===
Waugh took over the captaincy of the [[one-day cricket|one-day]] side in 1997–98, after captain [[Mark Taylor (cricketer)|Mark Taylor]] and vice-captain [[Ian Healy]], the two oldest players in the team were dropped<ref name="k263">{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=263}}</ref> following Australia's failure to qualify for the Australian tri-nations tournament in the 1996–97 season.{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}} Planning began for a more modern team for the [[1999 Cricket World Cup]],<ref name="k263"/> with the batting prowess of new wicket-keeper [[Adam Gilchrist]] to prove critical. The new team made a difficult start, losing all four of its preliminary matches against [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]]<ref name="odilist">{{cite web| title= Statsguru – SR Waugh – ODIs – Innings by innings list | url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=player;playerid=1795;class=odiplayer;filter=basic;team=0;opposition=0;notopposition=0;season=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;startdefault=1985-12-26;start=1985-12-26;enddefault=2004-01-06;end=2004-01-06;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduledovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;result=0;followon=0;seriesresult=0;captain=0;keeper=0;dnp=0;recent=;viewtype=aro_list;runslow=;runshigh=;batposition=0;dismissal=0;bowposition=0;ballslow=;ballshigh=;bpof=0;overslow=;overshigh=;conclow=;conchigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;dismissalslow=;dismissalshigh=;caughtlow=;caughthigh=;caughttype=0;stumpedlow=;stumpedhigh=;csearch=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype |publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=5 June 2008}}</ref><ref name="auslistodi"/> as [[Michael di Venuto]], [[Tom Moody]] and [[Stuart Law]] were all tried as [[Mark Waugh]]'s new opening partner.<ref>{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=264}}</ref> Waugh himself struggled, scoring only 12 runs, including three ducks in his first six innings before scoring 45* in the last round-robin match to ensure Australia qualified for the finals ahead of New Zealand.<ref name="odilist"/><ref name="auslistodi"/>

However, with Gilchrist's elevation to opener in the finals series, Australia defeated the South Africans 2–1.<ref>{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=265}}</ref> Waugh scored 53 and 71 in his two innings, and ended the series with 181 runs at 22.63. He bowled only four overs and took a solitary wicket in the series, which was his first ODI wicket in over a year.<ref name="odilist"/>

[[File:Stencil waugh.JPG|thumb|left|220px|[[Stencil]] drawing depicting Steve Waugh]]
Waugh scored steadily in the 1997–98 Test season against New Zealand and South Africa, getting to 80 three times in six Tests without going on to a century and averaging 40.89; Australia won both series. He bowled more often than in the preceding few years and took six wickets at 17.33.

The southern hemisphere season ended with Waugh leading his first overseas tour, a four-match ODI tour of New Zealand. He scored 112 runs at 37.33 and took three wickets at 42.00 as the series was drawn 2–2.<ref name="odilist"/><ref name="auslistodi"/>

On the 1998 tour of India, he hit 80 in the Second Test at Calcutta, but missed the following Test due to injury. He ended with 152 runs at 38.

He recovered to lead in the triangular tournament in India. Australia won both games to Zimbabwe but lost both to India. However, Waugh's men turned the tables in the final to beat the Indians by four wickets. Waugh contributed with bat and ball, taking 2/42 and scoring 57. This was followed by a triangular tournament in Sharjah, where Australia won all four group matches against India and New Zealand. This time, the Indians turned the table to win the final by six wickets despite Waugh's 70.<ref name="odilist"/><ref name="auslistodi"/> Waugh totalled 254 runs at 28.22 and eight wickets at 33.50 for the two tournaments.<ref name="odilist"/>

Later in the year, he top scored with 157 in the First Test against Pakistan at Karachi, enabling Australia to force an innings victory and gain their first victory in the country for 39 years. It formed the basis of Australia's 1–0 series win, in which Waugh scored 235 runs at 58.75.

Waugh led the ODI team in a 3–0 sweep of Pakistan after the Tests, but he managed only 40 runs at 13.33.<ref name="odilist"/><ref name="auslistodi"/>

The following season, Waugh suffered hamstring injuries and missed the majority of the ODI tournament.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} In the two matches in which he played, Waugh made only a duck and 20 and Australia lost both matches.<ref name="odilist"/><ref name="auslistodi"/> [[Shane Warne]] led Australia to victory in his absence,{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} winning eight of the remaining 10 matches.<ref name="auslistodi">{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=team;team=AUS;class=oditeam;filter=basic;opposition=0;notopposition=0;decade=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;season=0;startdefault=1877-03-15;start=1877-03-15;enddefault=2007-11-20;end=2007-11-20;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduledovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;followon=0;result=0;seriesresult=0;captainid=0;recent=;viewtype=resultlist;runslow=;runshigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;ballslow=;ballshigh=;overslow=;overshigh=;bpo=0;batevent=;conclow=;conchigh=;takenlow=;takenhigh=;ballsbowledlow=;ballsbowledhigh=;oversbowledlow=;oversbowledhigh=;bpobowled=0;bowlevent=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype |title=Statsguru – Australia – ODIs – Results list |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=21 December 2007}}</ref>

Waugh began the Ashes series with centuries in the First Test at Brisbane (112) and the Third Test at Melbourne but was criticised for taking singles off the first ball of the over, and exposing the tail-end batsmen to the strike. [[Stuart MacGill]] and [[Glenn McGrath]] fell to [[Darren Gough]] after one such instance as Australia collapsed in the second innings whilst chasing a small target. This criticism could be considered more than a little unfair, however, given his strong record overall of batting well with lower order batsman such as Merv Hughes, Jason Gillespie, Ian Healy, Shane Warne and even Glenn McGrath precisely by putting his faith in them. In the Fifth Test of the season, Waugh was involved in a century partnership with brother Mark for the second consecutive year. Again however, he fell within sight of triple figures for 96, while his brother reached his century. Australia won the Test and the series 3–1.