"This is the story of how a battling fringe Test player reinvented himself as one of the greats in Australian cricket history by courage, skill and application. Steve Waugh was fast-tracked into the Test arena when Australia reached its lowest ebb in half a century. Not only was he under-prepared, he didn't find the atmosphere inviting. His captain, Allan Border, was frustrated in managing 'a bunch of losers', who were not as skilful or committed as the leader. But Border had faith in Waugh. He had a bit of 'mongrel' in him that was essential for sustained success at the top. Waugh absorbed the shock and humiliation at being beaten by most teams, including New Zealand, in the mid-to-late 1980s. He just maintained his place as an all-rounder, who was not quite a Test standard batsman or bowler. But there were bright spots, including a win in the 1988 World Cup, in which Waugh, bowling at the 'death' in matches, earned the sobriquet, 'the ice-man' for his bowling under pressure. In 1989, Steve Waugh came of age as a star Test batsman with dominant big innings against England during the 1989 Ashes. After that Waugh slumped and was dropped---to make way for his brother Mark. Yet Stev