Felt like I lost something when Mark was not in Test side: Steve Waugh

Sydney: Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has said that he felt he had lost something when his twin brother Mark was not there in the Australian Test side. Mark retired from international cricket in February 2002, just under two years before Steve announced his own retirement.

In a recent interaction with former England captain Mike Atherton for Sky Sports, Steve said that he and Mark shared a "strange" relationship and almost intentionally moved apart after making it to the first-class cricket so as to develop different identities.

"We were always in the same teams, always in the same class, we lived in the same bedroom for 16 years, we shared the same clothes. We are constant with each other's reach. We lived in each other's pockets. We went everywhere together. The comparisons were inevitable," said Steve.

"We were good in sports. In each year we played, we were probably the best. There was this all-encompassing who is the better Waugh, and the competition in school, who gets the most marks... who gets the first sausage, who eats the most etc.

"When we turned 19, and made it New South Wales, we consciously or sub-consciously made a decision to go separate directions, and be our own person, because we were always seen as a couple almost. So in some ways that drove us apart.we had different bat sponsorships, we never did any endorsement together. Our interests varied. On tours, I liked to meet people and click photos. Mark would like to stay at hotels. We had different interests, and it grew from that," Steve further said.

Steve made his international debut in 1985 while Mark played his first match in 1988. The pair went on to define the dominant Australian teams of the late 1990's and early 2000's.

"But we always had mutual respect. I always wanted Mark to do well. When he was not in the Test side, I walked out to the ground, turned around and just felt that I sort of lost something, that he wasn't there. In some ways, people say it is a strange relationship. We have that respect for each other. We don't ring up and talk to each other much. But when we catch up, it's good to see each other," said Steve.