Cricket icon Steve Waugh feels Australia can play a significant role in “helping” India become a global sporting superpower by providing expertise in key areas such as technology, high-performance coaching, sports science, and sports medicine.
Even as India dominates world cricket on and off the field, Waugh said Australia can definitely assist the country in Olympic sports.
“They don’t need any help in cricket. They do it very well in India. But they have the sports where Australia can definitely help,” Waugh said during an interaction on the sidelines of an event.
“We have got the best of technology. The best sports science. The best sports medicine. Sports clothing. A couple of power brands in Australia, in that sporting area.
“So we have got the technology and expertise in Australia. That will definitely help India become better at sports,” the former Australia captain added.
Australia is known for its strong and vibrant sports culture and the country has consistently produced legends across disciplines, something India still lacks.
Speaking about his childhood days, Waugh reminisced, “Sport was everything to me. I went to school basically to play sport. It was sport 24×7. And then education. I fitted that in alongside sport.
“India is the other way around. Education is number one. And then you want to play a bit of sport.
“But just recently I have seen a change. There is a lot more focus on sport in schools and education institutions.
“Australia is really great at that. I know that India are very keen to have a positive influence on the world stage, not just in cricket but at the Olympics. I think Australia can really help you.”
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Waugh has fond memories of his early days in international cricket, including his debut series in 1986 in India and the World Cup the following year, when the team triumphed after entering the tournament as rank outsiders following the departure of some of the country’s finest cricketers.
“We were probably not one of the better teams in the world back then. And we played this amazing series against India, including the tied Test in Madras.
“That was a bit of a turning point for Australian cricket. That series, we started to believe that maybe we could be a decent side again. The following year was 1987, where we were rank outsiders for the World Cup here in India.”
Waugh, a greenhorn then, played his part in the team’s maiden World Cup title triumph, his ice cool temperament crisis impressing everyone.
“We ended up winning that World Cup at Eden Gardens in front of 100,000 people. And quite incredibly in that final, we had everyone supporting us.
“Because in the semifinal, we’d be in Pakistan. And our adversaries in India would be in the semifinal. So, we’d turn up at Eden Gardens and there was 100,000 people cheering for us.
“It’s the only time it’s ever happened in India we had people cheering for us. That was a great experience,” Waugh recalled.
Published on Sep 11, 2025
