Waugh back as Aussies seek some steel

FORMER Australian captain Steve Waugh has reunited with the squad in Manchester to reinforce the “steel” he cemented in the players ahead of Wednesday’s Ashes-defining fourth Test.

Waugh was acting as mentor to the squad throughout its Ashes preparations and then the first two Tests, when his commitment was supposed to end.

But he was so enthused by what he saw from the players, and what he was able to do with coach Justin Langer that Waugh, the last Australian captain to win an Ashes in England, wanted back in to for the rest of the series.

“We asked him to stay for the third Test but he had to go back for a function,” Langer said.

“He was actually going to fly there, do the function and fly back the next day. That’s how much he is enjoying it and we see great value.

“Guys like Punter (Ricky Ponting) and Steve Waugh, not only do they have a great presence in the group but they are great psychologists, they’ve been in the cauldron before, they’ve seen it all.

“So to have that those type of guys, we are talking about developing leadership in Australian cricket …. there is huge value in that.

“He’s been like a kid at Christmas, to come back after such a long time away from the game, his passion and enthusiasm for the game has been brilliant.”

Waugh was absent for the heartbreak at Headingley, where Australia fell one run short of retaining the Ashes.

But while Langer wasn’t convinced Waugh’s presence would have helped, he was happy to have his former skipper back. “You can’ measure it, would it have made any difference in those last 60 or 70 runs?

“Who knows?” Langer said.

“Certainly the way we have gone about our business for the first three Tests, there’s a bit of steel there and having those sort of people around helps.”