Steve Waugh Takes the Captaincy — Australia's Era Begins, 1999

Steve Waugh had been a senior figure in the Australian team since the late 1980s. His Test averages had risen from the mid-30s in the late 1980s to over 50 by 1995. The 1998-99 ODI captaincy was his trial run.

Mark Taylor retired on February 2, 1999. The selectors named Steve Waugh as Test captain immediately. Australia toured the West Indies for a four-Test series starting in early March.

Mark Taylor announced his retirement on February 2, 1999, after the Pakistan series. Steve Waugh — who had been ODI captain since 1997-98 and Test vice-captain — was the obvious successor at age 33. His first Test series was the Frank Worrell Trophy in the Caribbean. Australia won the first Test by 312 runs at Trinidad. Brian Lara responded with 213 at Sabina Park (West Indies won by 10 wickets) and a masterful unbeaten 153 at Bridgetown to win by one wicket — possibly the greatest fourth-innings hundred in Test history. Australia won the fourth Test in Antigua to draw the series 2-2. The campaign showed both Australia's dominance and Lara's individual brilliance. Within six months Waugh would lead Australia to the 1999 World Cup. Within a year Australia were the world's number one team. By the end of 2001 they had won 16 consecutive Test matches.

“I'd been waiting for this for years. The job was to keep the team going at its best.”

“Stephen was the best captain Australia has ever had. The toughness was contagious.”

Waugh captained Australia in 57 Tests, winning 41 and losing only nine. He set the record of 16 consecutive Test wins (twice — 1999-2001 and 2005-2008 under Ricky Ponting). He retired in January 2004 with 168 Tests, then a record. Under his captaincy Australia became the most dominant Test team in history.