Michael Slater

[The Maestro]

Have to say I have quite enjoyed his commentating, him and Crowe dont get along well though heh

Why was Slater the player dropped anyway? It seemed a travesty at the time and surely only a mater of time before he made it back, but from my memory he never really did

 

[social]

He was out of form on an England tour, largely because of partying caused by his marriage break-up.

Subsequently retired due to chronic arthritis.

 

[age_master]

yeah i certainly enjoy his commentary.

but no he should never have been dropped

 

[Blaze]

Him and Crowe get on fine.. it would have been Crowe who invited him over and asked him to comentate for the Aus series in the first place because he is in charge of sky sports coverage of cricket

 

[shaka]

He was a decent commentator

 

[The Maestro]

Thats interesting

Someone just emailed me to say that the real reason he was dropped was that he was involved with another players wife

Which is why both his marriage and career bombed

silly bugger.......

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

That's a massive assumption.

 

[Right arm fast]

Thats interesting

Someone just emailed me to say that the real reason he was dropped was that he was involved with another players wife

Which is why both his marriage and career bombed

silly bugger.......

wasnt that him and gilchrist and a website said he was the father of gilchrists child. but they sued the website that said that. so i read in inside cricket

 

[social]

wasnt that him and gilchrist and a website said he was the father of gilchrists child. but they sued the website that said that. so i read in inside cricket

He recently gave an interview on Aus tv saying that he had had a form of depression that was exacerbated by his marriage breakup and subsequent poor form.

The other rumour was baseless.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I don't really want this to turn into a thread about the rumours and stories surrounding Slater. He was my favourite player as a little kid. So I'm gonig to list the things that I loved about him, and hope others do to, and make this a sort of tribute thread to a complicated genius.

1. his enthusiasm, first really brought to light in the way he celebrated reaching 100 at Lords in 1993.
2. single-handedly winning the ashes, when he hit caddick IIRC for four first ball of the series, and every english player just dropped his head, as if to say "here we go again"
3. a compulsive hooker and puller, even though these were far from his best shots. symbolised the way that he backed himself to the full extent of his ability.
4. the complete excess of movements at the crease. just like his personality, his technique had flaws, yet he managed to average over 40 in test cricket despite these.

 

[The Maestro]

True I really liked watching Slater bat



I didnt mean to infer that rumour was fact btw..... it was poor wording/tired post

I just think there could be more to it........ as it seemed at the time he really REALLY should have been given another chance

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I just think there could be more to it........ as it seemed at the time he really REALLY should have been given another chance

I don't think there was room to give him another shot really. He got dropped due to poor form, Langer came in to open with Hayden and they had a big century stand, and then they took off and have both averaged in the 50s since, are now the second highest scoring opening pair in test history behind Greenidge and Haynes. Who could possibly have been dropped to let Slater back in?

 

[howardj]

The biggest mistake they made with Slater was dropping him back at the start of 1996/97. He was always the type of personality that had to be handled with care, and the selectors really misread things back then. Think he was averaging 47 at the time.

 

[anzac]

IMO Langer had a LOT of luck go his way in his first couple of series as Opener.............particularly when he & Hayden were racking up those double century opening stands................from memory he had several lucky escapes where he got the benefit of the doubt from the Umps where he could have been given out prior to reaching 50, yet was good enough to go on and post tons...........

Slats could have been back in the fold by the end of the PAK series..............

likewise I always thought that Elliott was also unlucky not to be given another shot...............

 

[Richard]

Langer certainly played well in 2001\02, even if he did have a couple of innings which weren't worth what the scorebook showed (esp the one where Cairns got him lbw 1st ball, at The 'Gabba).
It's a shame indeed that the end of Slater's career panned-out the way it did, but he was a superb player, there's no doubt about that.
I've also always liked his commentary since I first heard it in 2000.

 

[vic_orthdox]

likewise I always thought that Elliott was also unlucky not to be given another shot...............

while i'm an elliott fan, i don't think he took his big chance when it came (West Indies 99). Then again, he wasn't the only person who courtney and curtly have sorted out.

and it would have helped if steve waugh had've like him.

 

[anzac]

while i'm an elliott fan, i don't think he took his big chance when it came (West Indies 99). Then again, he wasn't the only person who courtney and curtly have sorted out.

and it would have helped if steve waugh had've like him.

from memory didn't he have a good Ashes Tour and then had that injury from a collision & never seemed 'right / confident' at the crease in The Windies tour..............

 

[vic_orthdox]

that collision was in his second test. he only went on one ashes tour from memory, and he was one of the leading batsmen, making two centuries. he eventually fell out of favour, and was recalled for the tour of the WI. yes ur right, he never did seem "right/confident" but that was probably more through ambrose and walsh being geniuses.

 

[howardj]

It was not just his form on that West Indies tour, but his sulking after he was dismissed. Steve Waugh - in his first series as captain - didnt take too kindly to Elliot's attitude. No co-incidence that Elliot didnt get recalled until after Tugga Waugh retired!

 

[Richard]

that collision was in his second test. he only went on one ashes tour from memory, and he was one of the leading batsmen, making two centuries.

Even though one owed to being dropped without scoring.