Although divided, they still stood

The Australian cricket team scaled new heights under the captaincy of Steve Waugh, even though many might not have got along well.

Most of those who have played with or against Steve Waugh would choose him, if need be, to bat for their life.

Such was his skill, courage and determination. Such was the price he put on his wicket that he went on to surpass, in achievement, his more gifted twin, Mark, by a long yard.

Steve Waugh was also a great captain and has a staggering win percentage. He took his team, and the art of cricket, to the next level by eliminating the draw as an option. Of his 32 centuries, 25 led to victory. Waugh's hallmark was his special ability to deliver under pressure, when hope was all but extinguished, often with only the tail for company.

Yet, Shane Warne, the architect of many a victory achieved under Waugh, has described him as "a match-saver rather than a match-winner", and dismissed his achievements as captain by crediting it to the wonderful team that Taylor left behind.

The result is that Waugh is ranked no better than 26th in Warne's list of the 50 finest cricketers (actually 53 given the presence of two 29ths, two 28ths and two 27ths) he played with, published in the Times over the past few days.

That is 14 places lower than the twin, 19 lower than Taylor, 22 below Allan Border, and 25 places below Tendulkar, who predictably pips Lara to the top spot for being mentally tougher. Waugh is ranked even below Darren Lehmann.

Adam Gilchrist finds a place in the all-time world eleven drawn up by most for the many matches he has won and because he has forever changed the expectations a team has from its wicketkeeper. He is ranked 20th in Warne's list.

This is Warne's list and he has the right to include whoever he wants, even his son or daughter, in it. His 708 Test wickets give him the right to make any list he wants.

Umpire's Post is unlikely to take any Test wicket in this lifetime, but reserves the right to conclude that Warne's list reeks of a deep divide in the Australian cricket team that conquered all but the final frontier. And it must have been caused by the fact that Warne was passed over for captaincy, which he craved, in favour of Waugh and vice-captaincy in favour of Gilchrist.

Yet, instead of deriding Warne's selection, one feels compelled to doff one's hat at the way the trio did not let the differences come in the way of the many victories it scripted.

For instance, Gilchrist took more stumpings and catches off Warne than Healy, ranked 10th, did. Then again, one can't help wondering, what if they had got along well.