Rarely does a truly great player reveal as much of himself and his sport as does Steve Waugh in his long-awaited autobiography. Out of My Comfort Zone is a thought-provoking study of a unique life in cricket, a journey into the heart and soul of not just the game, but also one of its most respected players, finest leaders, and greatest teams. During his career, Waugh was at different times a rising star, the ‘next Don Bradman’, yesterday’s hero, the best player in the world, a great leader and for much of the tumultuous Australian summer of 2002-03 maybe a fading star who stayed too long. One of cricket’s most memorable hundreds, played out in front of an adoring crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, put paid to that and 12 months later he was able to end his career on his own terms, as a universally respected figure who timed his farewell just right. In Out of My Comfort Zone, Waugh provides an insight into his relationships with his colleagues, not least his twin brother and Test teammate, Mark Waugh, and offers frank and perceptive portraits of many of the people who shared his adventures. While his admiration for men such as Allan Border, Shane Warne and John Buchanan is huge, his relationship with them was not always rosy. Furthermore, he was often frustrated by the media and by cricket administrators. The chapter on the rise of the Australian Cricketers’ Association in 1997-98 reveals just how close the Australian Test team came to going on strike. He provides a fascinating insight into the match-fixing scandal that rocked world cricket in the 1990s, finally tells the true story of his battles with the Australian selectors, and open up on his personal life in a way few would expect of a man known in cricket circles as ‘The Iceman’. We are left with the inescapable conclusion that for all his courage, grit and ability, it is the undying support of his family that was most crucial in shaping his destiny.
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