Editing Steve Waugh (section)

===ODI captaincy changed===
[[File:Steve Waugh ODI graph.png|350px|thumb|Waugh's ODI career batting performance.The red bars indicate his innings, and the blue line the average of his 10 most recent innings. The blue dots indicate innings in which Waugh finished [[not out]]]]
Australia made an uncertain start to the [[2001–02 VB Series]], losing the first three of its preliminary matches. A rotation policy designed to ease the workload on older players while giving younger players experience appeared to unsettle the team, and was scrapped. Following this decision, Australia won four of the last five matches, but failed to qualify for the finals for only the third time in 23 years. In their final match, Australia needed a win and a bonus point against South Africa as New Zealand captain [[Stephen Fleming]], in retaliation to Waugh's tactics in the World Cup, had conceded a bonus point to South Africa in the previous match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155077.html|title=VB Series 2001–02|work=Wisden|publisher=ESPN Sports Media|access-date=23 September 2009|author1=Richard Boock|author2=Paul Coupar}}</ref> The team's performance caused a reaction similar that of 1997. With an eye toward the next World Cup, the selectors dropped the Waugh brothers and handed the captaincy to [[Ricky Ponting]]. Waugh made his displeasure at the decision public and stated a desire to regain his place in the side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s481385.htm|title=ABC TV: 7.30 Report 13&nbsp;February 2002 (transcript)|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=13 February 2002|access-date=23 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205143310/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s481385.htm|archive-date=5 February 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Continuing as Test captain, Waugh led the team to a 2–1 victory in South Africa to retain Australia's ranking as the number one team.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}<ref name="auslist">{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=team;team=AUS;class=testteam;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 – Tests – Results list |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=21 December 2007}}</ref> Australia crushed the hosts in the First Test by an innings and 360 runs, won the Second Test by four wickets, before losing the last.<ref name="auslist"/> His own form was poor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155058.html |author=Neil Manthorp|title=The Australians in South Africa 2001–02|work=Wisden|publisher=ESPN Sports Media|access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> with 95 runs at 19.00.<ref name="testlist"/> He left the tour once the ODI series began. Arriving in Australia alone, he faced media questioning over his playing future. Waugh's reply was, "We've just beaten the next best team in the world 5–1, and all you want to talk about is getting me out of the team."

The speculation continued about the future of both Waugh brothers in the lead up to the Test series against Pakistan played in mid-2002.<ref name="k342">{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=342}}</ref> The matches were hosted in the [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Sri Lanka]], due to security concerns following a bomb blast inside Pakistan.<ref name="k341">{{Harvnb|Knight|2003|p=341}}</ref> Australia had a crushing 3–0 win, winning the two latter matches by an innings,<ref name="auslist"/> but the Waughs had little influence on the result. However, Steve hit 103 not out in his last innings of the series, after scoring consecutive ducks.<ref name="testlist"/> This may have saved his career; his brother was dropped for the 2002–03 Ashes series and promptly announced his retirement from international cricket.<ref>{{harvnb|Knight|2003|pp= 346–349}}</ref>

Despite his team being well on top, Waugh struggled in the early part of the Ashes series and he scored only 106 runs in four innings in the first three Tests.<ref name="testlist"/> It mattered little to the match results; Australia crushed England in the First Test by 384 runs and proceeded to record consecutive innings victories.<ref name="auslist"/> In the Fourth Test at the MCG, he scored 77 in the first innings and took his first Test wicket in four years;<ref name="testlist"/> he did not bowl himself often as captain. However, his score of 14 in the second innings was characterised by many inside edges and false strokes led to increased speculation that he would be dropped.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} Australia managed to reach their target with five wickets down,<ref name="auslist"/> despite a stumble on the final morning.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}

The Fifth Test in his hometown Sydney started with speculation that it would be Waugh's last Test unless he reversed his ongoing form slump.<ref name="k351">{{harvnb|Knight|2003|p=351}}</ref> Asked before the final Test to nominate the defining moment of a career likely to soon be over, Waugh made a prediction rather than reflecting, stating: "It might be yet to come".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Waugh's last ball century – YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vuUhZ8p0b0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/_vuUhZ8p0b0| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2021-01-09|website=www.youtube.com| date=2 June 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> On the second day of the match he then fulfilled this prophecy, scoring a chanceless century – bringing up three figures with a cover driven boundary from the last ball of the day (bowled by off-spinner [[Richard Dawson (cricketer)|Richard Dawson]]).<ref name="uk.cricinfo.com">{{cite web|url=http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2002-03/ENG_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/ENG_AUS_T5_02-06JAN2003_BBB-COMMS.html|title=5th Test: Australia v England at Sydney, 2–6&nbsp;January 2003|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> Waugh left the ground to a standing ovation, having equalled [[Sir Donald Bradman]]'s then Australian record of 29 Test centuries,<ref name="uk.cricinfo.com"/> as well as saving his own Test career. In the second innings, Australia faced a large target and slumped to a heavy defeat by 225 on a deteriorating pitch, its only loss of the series.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}<ref name="testlist"/> When he was dismissed cheaply in the second innings, Waugh ran off the field, as the crowd gave him a standing ovation amidst speculation he may choose to retire after what was regarded as a fairytale century.

The [[2003 Cricket World Cup|2003 World Cup]] came and Waugh's desire to return for a fifth World Cup was denied. A chance for a last minute reprieve came when all rounder [[Shane Watson]] was injured before the tournament. Waugh had been using his newspaper column to promote his bowling abilities and had been increasingly using himself as a bowler in an attempt to strengthen his case for a recall. However, his successor [[Ricky Ponting]] publicly called for the inclusion of then out of form [[Andrew Symonds]]. Ponting got his wish, and although the selection was regarded as being highly controversial at the time, Symonds established himself at international level with a series of match winnings innings.

During the April 2003 tour to the West Indies, Waugh made 25 in the First Test and did not bat in the Second, before scoring 115 in the Third Test victory.<ref name="testlist"/> Australia won all three Tests by nine wickets, 118 runs and nine wickets respectively.<ref name="auslist"/> He scored 41 and 45* in the Fourth Test to end the series with 226 runs at 75.33. It was in this match, that Australia lost as the home team broke the record for the highest successful Test run chase.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} Waugh received some criticism over claims he refused to control his players. This came after a heated confrontation between [[Glenn McGrath]] and West Indian batsman [[Ramnaresh Sarwan]] as the hosts headed towards their target.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}

The Australian winter of 2003 saw Waugh score consecutive unbeaten centuries of 100 and 156 as Australia took a 2–0 sweep over Bangladesh with innings victories.<ref name="testlist"/><ref name="auslist"/> The Australian summer started in late-2003 and after scoring 78 and 61 in the two Tests against Zimbabwe,<ref name="testlist"/> which Australia won by an innings and nine wickets respectively,<ref name="auslist"/> Waugh announced that the 2003–04 series against India would be his last.