Steve Waugh's classy gesture after infamous 'Bangladesh don't deserve Test cricket' remark recalled 23 years later
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Steve Waugh reassured Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud after David Hookes' harsh newspaper column.
- Australia played hard but avoided sledging despite the talent gap.
- Stuart MacGill took 17 wickets as Australia swept the two-Test series 2-0.
Bangladesh captain recalls Steve Waugh's heartwarming gesture after a brutal column by David Hookes
Before Bangladesh's 2003 tour got underway, former Australian batter David Hookes penned a piece in the Sydney Morning Herald suggesting Steve Waugh's team should look to wrap up both Test matches within a single day.
In his column, published July 12, 2003, and titled "Now for a one-day Test" Hookes wanted Australia's dominant world champions to overwhelm Bangladesh without restraint.
He suggested Waugh's side should bowl Bangladesh out before lunch, bat through until tea, then dismiss them again before the close of play.
"Steve Waugh should send them in to bat, bowl them out before lunch, bat until tea and declare, then send them back in and roll them again before stumps," Hookes said.
"It could be all over in a day. Bangladesh doesn't deserve to be in Test cricket and they shouldn't be given any favours out on the field. If the Australian team is being true to the Test cap their aim will be to go out there and annihilate Bangladesh."
Those comments stuck firmly in the memory of Bangladesh's then-captain Khaled Mahmud. And unsurprisingly, those remarks became a hot topic when the two squads crossed paths at a pre-series gathering ahead of the opening Test in Darwin.
What Mahmud remembers most vividly, though, wasn't the criticism itself, but how Waugh personally responded to it.
"Before the Test series kicked off in Darwin, there was a get-together, and we were having evening tea, and while we were standing out at the balcony and chatting among ourselves, out of nowhere Steve Waugh suddenly came over and asked me how I was doing?" Mahmud told Cricbuzz.
"Later he (Waugh) asked, 'Do you guys read the newspapers?' I said, 'Not usually, but sometimes.' He asked, 'Did you read David Hookes comment?' I said, 'Yes, we did.' He told us, 'Don't worry about it. It's just a mad man talking and I believe you are a much better team than that and you'll play well against us. I wish you all the best."
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When Australia chose courtesy instead of sledging against Bangladesh
That small gesture left a lasting impact on Mahmud, who admitted that hearing words like that from an opposing captain naturally boosted their confidence.
He had also braced himself for relentless sledging from the Australians, a reputation the side carried at the time, but instead encountered a team that remained fiercely competitive while staying entirely respectful in conduct.
"We heard the Australians sledge a lot, but we didn't see any of it on the field," Mahmud revealed.
"Steve Waugh's team didn't go anywhere near sledging. Even against a weak and inexperienced team like ours, their approach and application was 100% professional. They didn't bowl any loose deliveries - full toss, half volley, over pitched or short of length. They played with a 100% professional approach.
"They played like they always do. Very nice approach and professional. They bowled with a plan and by using their brain. Leg-spinner MacGill bowled three of his customary deliveries before dishing out a googly, and we were totally unfamiliar with it."
Stuart MacGill went on to finish as player of the series with 17 wickets, as Australia completed a clean sweep of the two-Test series.
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Why does Steve Waugh's gesture still resonate today in Bangladesh?
Waugh's gesture is a reminder that competitive intensity and basic sportsmanship were never mutually exclusive, even at cricket's most ruthless level.
Australia's 2003 side is remembered as one of the most dominant teams the sport has seen, yet Waugh's brief, unscripted words to Mahmud show a leader conscious of the difference between playing hard and being rude.
In an era where public commentary around mismatched contests can turn needlessly harsh, this anecdote stands as a quiet example of how senior figures in sport can choose decency without softening their team's competitive edge.
Australia still won comfortably, MacGill still ran through Bangladesh's batting, but none of that required humiliation as a talking point. That distinction, between dominance and disrespect, is something modern cricket could stand to be reminded of more often.
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