Waugh

There have been many heroes in Australia's sporting history, but very few icons. Sir Donald Bradman. Phar Lap. Dawn Fraser. John Landy. Shane Gould. Cathy Freeman. Allan Border. Ian Thorpe . . . And Steve Waugh.

For many Australians, Steve Waugh is the greatest cricketer of the modern era, an accomplished all-rounder who became a victorious captain, responsible for shepherding the strongest Australian cricketing team in years to a position of worldwide prominence. He was tough, but fair, and never asked anything of his team-mates that he didn't ask of himself. At the end of his captaincy, he graciously threw in his red rag before he had to be wheeled back in with the drinks trolley.

The man himself has remained an enigma, and that's just the way he likes it. In 'Waugh', acclaimed biographer Peter Fitzsimons goes behind Steve Waugh's public face to paint a portrait of an emotional, complex man who is devoted to his family, a champion of seemingly lost causes (including the teams he captained), and the only true successor to The Don.

We may never see the like of Stephen Rodger Waugh again.