Steve Waugh

There was a time when Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara had to battle with Steve Waugh for the best Test batsman’s spot, and Waugh's consistency at winning matches for his team stood out from the rest.

Starting his career as a bowling all-rounder, his ability to bowl at the death in ODIs and remain cool under pressure earned him the sobriquet of Iceman and he played a vital role in winning the 1987 World Cup for the Allan Border-led Australia. But a slump in his form meant that he was dropped in the early 1990s to be replaced by his twin brother Mark, but that only went a long way in resurrecting his technique and making him a better player.

Waugh groomed his skills under the captaincy of Allan Border and Mark Taylor before inheriting a dominant team and converting it into a champion side. His tough as nails attitude rubbed onto his teammates as well and as a skipper, he led from the front. He played plenty of game-changing knocks throughout his career. No one can forget his maiden double hundred in Tests, which came against West Indies, ending their unbeaten series run for 15 years. He helped his side turn around the Ashes in 1997 scoring a pair of centuries in a Test.

He made his name in the one-day format as well. Be it the partnership with Ricky Ponting in the super-six match against South Africa in the 1999 World Cup or ensuring his side kept its calm against the same opposition in the semifinal. Australia eventually went on to win the title and stamp their authority on world cricket. Although, Waugh was sacked in unceremonious manner after a poor show in the 2001-02 VB series, his form in whites never dipped as he led Australia to a record 16 wins in a row, including a whitewash against the West Indies. It was broken by India during the epic Eden Gardens Test, something that remains to be the only regret of his career - not conquering the final frontier. 
 

Even after his retirement in 2003, Steve Waugh stays in the news as he does a lot of charity work. The National Trust of Australia included him in the list of 100 Living Australian Treasures. He was induced in the ICC Hall of Fame in 2010.