Steve Waugh’s South African Tour Diary, Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh’s South African Tour Diary is the fascinating record of one of the most significant and exciting journeys ever undertaken by an Australian cricket team. As world attention focused on South Africa in the early months of 1994, leading up to that nation’s first ever democratic elections, the Australian and South African cricket teams did battle in South Africa for the first time in 24 years. Here he takes us ‘inside’ the tour, and recalls outstanding performances by players such as Shane Warne, David Boon, Mark Waugh, Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes. He looks, too, at the controversial moments – the sledging, the umpiring and the fiercely parochial crowds – and reveals hilarious and sometimes embarrassing incidents that occurred away from the media spotlight. Waugh describes in detail the backdrop against which the drama of the series unfolds. He recalls the hardship of life in Soweto, the opulence of Sun City, the majesty of the game parks, the political turmoil, and the hopes and dreams of the people in what he found to be an exquisitely beautiful country. Paperback, 184 pages.