Michael Slater
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 Australia (Aus) |
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 |
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |
| Bowling type | Right-arm medium | |
| Tests | ODIs | |
| Matches | 74 | 42 |
| Runs scored | 5312 | 987 |
| Batting average | 42.83 | 24.07 |
| 100s/50s | 14/21 | -/9 |
| Top score | 219 | 73 |
| Balls bowled | 25 | 12 |
| Wickets | 1 | - |
| Bowling average | 10.00 | - |
| 5 wickets in innings | - | - |
| 10 wickets in match | - | N/A |
| Best bowling | 1/4 | - |
| Catches/stumpings | 33/- | 9/- |
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As of 12 December 2005 |
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Michael Jonathon Slater (born February 21, 1970, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer who played in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs from 1993 to 2001.
Michael went to the Australian Cricket Academy before appearing for New South Wales in the 1991/92 Sheffield Shield (now known as the Pura Cup) season. He made fast progress to the Australian Test Team being selected for the Ashes Tour to England in 1993. He made his first century in the Lords Test and celebrated by kissing the Australian Badge on his helmet. He was generally known for his swashbuckling style of play. Frontfoot pulls to reasonably full pitched balls were his speciality. Between 1993 and 2001, in 74 Test matches he scored 5,312 Test runs and 14 centuries at an average of 42. He opened the batting in Australia's unbeaten streak team between 1999 and 2001. Surprisingly he wasn't as successful in the shorter One-day International form of the game appearing 42 times with an average of 24.
His career fell apart during 2001. Against the backdrop of a marriage breakdown, he showed increased emotion on the field. During a Test Match in Mumbai, India, against India, Slater claimed to have caught a diving catch off a mistimed pull-shot by Indian batsman Rahul Dravid. Both Dravid and the umpire were unconvinced, and Dravid stood his ground. Slater was incensed and angrily confronted both the umpire and Dravid. TV replays showed that it was unlikely that Slater cleanly caught the ball. Later, during the Ashes tour, Slater was dropped from the team, apparently due to missing a training session. However, years later Steve Waugh admitted that the reason behind him not backing Slater and dropping him was the problems he was facing in his marriage. Slater in a way never forgave him for that. Adam Gilchrist apparently asked Slater to keep quiet on the issue as it was not in the best interests of the team and that made Slater shock into silence and miss the training session. Justin Langer replaced him, and after making three consecutive centuries, cemented his position as the opener. Slater was also the subject of false rumours that he was the father of his teammate Adam Gilchrist's son. In March 2005 Slater gave an in-depth interview with Andrew Denton on ABC TV's Enough Rope: transcript
Slater played in the English County Championship with Derbyshire in the 1990s. He is now a radio commentator with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In January 2006, he joined Nine's prestigious Wide World Of Sports cricket commentary team, where he has once again joined former Test match opening partner Mark Taylor.
Recently, Slater appeared as a contestant on the Australian version of Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice, becoming the 4th contestant to be eliminated. He also appears as a reporter on Channel Nine's health and lifestyle programme, What's Good For You?.
