Michael Jonathan Slater, born on February 21, 1970, in Wagga Wagga, Australia, is a former Australian cricketer who was known for his combative and wholehearted style of play. As an opener for both New South Wales and the Australian national team, Slater showcased his adventurous strokeplay, leaving a lasting impact on the game.
Slater’s cricketing journey began with his enrollment at the Australian Cricket Academy, where he honed his skills and displayed immense potential. His meteoric rise saw him rapidly progress from playing for the New South Wales Second XI at the beginning of the 1992-93 season to representing Australia in the Ashes squad by the end of that summer. He made an impressive half-century in his first match of the series, alongside his fellow New South Welshman, Mark Taylor. This remarkable performance was followed by a brilliant century at Lord’s, solidifying his place in the national Test team.
With the exception of a brief hiatus between October 1996 and March 1998, Slater held a position at the top of the Australian Test batting lineup for nearly a decade. During this time, he contributed significantly to Australia’s overall success, with numerous standout performances. One such highlight was his incredible knock of 219 against Sri Lanka in Perth during the 1995-96 season. Additionally, he had outstanding home series against New Zealand in 1993-94 and England in 1994-95, accumulating 305 runs at an average of 76.25 and 623 runs at 62.30, respectively. Slater’s special tradition of kissing his helmet whenever he reached a century became a familiar sight, witnessed by fans on 14 different occasions. Furthermore, he came agonizingly close to another milestone, scoring in the nineties a record-breaking nine times.
Although Slater’s aggressive approach proved successful in Test cricket, he struggled to replicate the same level of performance in one-day internationals. While he showcased his potential with a spectacular 73 on his ODI debut, he failed to consistently reach such heights and did not feature in any international limited-overs matches after 1997.
After experiencing a prolonged slump in form, Slater was dropped from the Australian Test side in August 2001 for the fifth Ashes Test. As the pressure mounted, he found it challenging to maintain a spot in the New South Wales team during the following domestic season. Despite his dedication and perseverance, Slater’s performance with the bat began to decline, coinciding with the rise of his career as a cricket commentator. A debilitating illness further hampered his abilities during the 2003-04 season, leading him to announce his retirement from professional cricket in June 2004.
While his playing career may have come to a close, Michael Slater’s impact on Australian cricket remains significant. Renowned for his attacking style and memorable performances, he will always be remembered as a fierce competitor who entertained fans with his adventurous strokeplay.
