Austin Waugh takes a break from cricket at the age of 21

Austin Waugh, the son of the legendary Steve Waugh, has decided to spend some time away from the game at the age of 21. Carrying a massive surname has supposedly taken a massive toll on the youngster, whose interest from the sport has reduced significantly.

Waugh, going by reports, told his club Sutherland that he won’t be playing this season. Ben Dwarshuis, the Sutherland captain, who also plays for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, talked about how Austin asked for some time away from cricket.

Austin Waugh takes time off to rejuvenate

“He wasn’t that interested in playing this year and wanted to spend a little bit of time away from it,” Dwarshuis, was quoted as saying to The Sunday Telegraph.

“He’s a great player with a lot of potential but you never want to push someone to play. The game can take its toll and having Waugh as a surname just adds that little bit of extra pressure,” he stated.

“I think he’s enjoying a bit of time away. Hopefully, he takes a year off and comes back refreshed and loving his cricket again,” Dwarshuis added.

Waugh was a part of Australia’s U19 team that played the final of the 2018 World Cup against India. In the tournament, he only played two matches, scoring 32 runs at an average of 16 and 78.04 respectively.

He is also a handy medium pacer, who has picked wickets at the U19 level. One of his wickets during the World Cup was of Anukul Roy, who’s currently a part of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

Back in 2016 before the Big Bash League, Waugh played in a curtain-raiser match for the Ponting XI in their match against Gilchrist XI. The then 17-year-old Austin came to bat at number five and smashed Bradley Hope for a six.

He smacked a short ball for a six over the long-off fence. The commentators, well and truly, were in awe of Waugh’s brilliance. “It was like he was serving a tennis ball,” one commentator said.

“I don’t know how to describe the way he played that shot. That was sensational timing from Austin Waugh. That was an absolute ripping six,” another commentator stated.