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[aryan]

Few are better equipped to talk on cricket than Steve Waugh. The former Australian captain, who scored over 10,000 runs in Test cricket and smashed 32 tons, talks to Avijit Ghosh and Insiya Amir about T20, Sourav Ganguly and whether "you just dropped the World Cup, son" is a more famous one-liner than "play it again Sam".

At least half a dozen world-class players from Australia have quit the game in the recent past. But Australia keeps winning key tournaments. What's their secret recipe?

Three months ago, people were complaining about Australian cricket. They were knocked out early in the T20 World Cup and they lost the Ashes. But they have a great record in ODIs. We have lost some great players but there are lots of good, young players. We got better depth than what most people think.

India has a good world ranking. But we are not doing well in key championships. What's your take?

One must begin to relax and enjoy the moment. But that's easier said than done because 1.2 billion people are riding on the outcome. A lot of pressure comes from that. Also, you know that a win can get you a lot of money and endorsement. Such things shouldn't play on your mind. They should try to enjoy the big moment and not be tense about it.

Do you think Indian cricketers have big egos?

I think there is more pressure on Indian cricketers. It is hard for young cricketers to get a realistic view of what's going on, especially with the massive amounts of money to be made.

But nowadays cricketers are getting big money before attaining success. Is that part of the problem?

Probably is. As a sportsperson, you should stay hungry. That's a key ingredient. The hunger and fierce competitive nature must remain. But somehow if it is dulled or taken away, then in the big moments you're probably not going to win. Australian cricketers definitely pride themselves on results and performing in the big matches. I am not saying India doesn't. But if you got a lot of money, it can sometimes take away (from the competitive edge).

Does any young Indian cricketer look world class?

I like Ishant Sharma. From ball one I thought he was something special. He is going through a tough time but he has good prospects. I see a lot of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie in him. And Rohit Sharma as a batsman; he's got good technique and he will be there for a long time. India has got so much talent that is coming through in the 20-20 format. India should be the No.1 or No.2 side in the world for a long time to come.

In world cricket, whom do you see as the new big thing, a special talent?

AB de Villiers is a dynamic player. Mitchell Johnson is now coming on as an allrounder. Then there's Ross Taylor.

Do you think with the emergence of T20, the age of cricket superstars is over?

May be a T20 superstar will emerge at some stage. Someone who will take the game to the next level like Michael Bevan did with ODIs. You will see some T20 cricketers work the game out better than others and have a great record. Yuvraj is probably the best T20 batsman right now. Among bowlers, Lasith Malinga seems to have worked it out pretty well.

Do you miss cricket?

I miss the competitive nature of it. I watched the Ashes on TV, and wouldn't have minded being back there. But I have had 18 years at the top. So I am happy. I wouldn't have minded playing T20, but I was a bit too late for that. I'm comfortable with what I have. I was even asked to coach a few teams in IPL. But I refused.

T20 is a lot about innovation.

Look at Dilshan. He has been fantastic for the game. Sri Lanka are one side that do punch above their weight which does great things for the population.

Your views on John Buchanan.

John Buchanan was not a genius and certainly not a dud. I wanted him as Australia's coach because he was going to take the players out of the comfort zone. He is a different type of character and, if you don't know him enough, you might just back away.

For KKR's, the four-captain theory, looking backwards, wasn't a great idea. But in the end they didn't even try it, so it became a bit of an excuse for KKR. Where John went wrong was that he tried to do it totally the Australian way - the entire support staff was Australian. You can't do that in India. It became a matter of friction. And I don't know why Mendis was on the bench. At the time, he was probably world's best bowler. But John was good for Australian cricket.

Was Warne the best captain Australia never had?

It's hard to say. Once you actually get the job, captaincy is a lot different from people wanting it. As a vice-captain and as a player, it is a lot easier. For Rajasthan Royals, he obviously did a good job. But the team behind the scenes also did a smart job. Shane obviously got great enthusiasm from the players. That's his strength - he can get the best out of players on the field.

What about Sourav Ganguly?

I am fine with Sourav. When we chat, there's never a problem. My only problem with him was that he couldn't turn up on time for the toss. He has been a very good player for India.

Do you play any sport now?

I play golf. I played last week in the Dunhill Links, a pro-am tournament, in Scotland. Of the six teams, we came second. Which is good. Now I just play backyard cricket with my son. He has a lot of talent.

What do you think is the more famous quote, Play it again Sam (from Casablanca) or You just dropped the World Cup, son.

I guess Herschelle Gibbs gets asked that question more than me. It was just one of those things that happen in cricket. Younis Khan dropped a catch the other day. Anyone can drop an easy catch.