Michael Slater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Slater

Slater in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Michael Jonathon Slater
Born	(1970-02-21) 21 February 1970 (age 55) Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Slats
Height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm medium
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 357)	3 June 1993 v England
Last Test	20 August 2001 v England
ODI debut (cap 114)	9 December 1993 v South Africa
Last ODI	24 May 1997 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1991/92–2003/04	New South Wales
1998–1999	Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 74 42 216 135 Runs scored 5,312 987 14,912 3,395 Batting average 42.83 24.07 40.85 26.52 100s/50s 14/21 0/9 36/69 2/27 Top score 219 73 221 115 Balls bowled 25 12 133 12 Wickets 1 0 3 0 Bowling average 10.00 – 37.66 – 5 wickets in innings 0 – 0 – 10 wickets in match 0 – 0 – Best bowling 1/4 – 1/4 – Catches/stumpings 33/– 9/– 116/– 31/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Australia ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 1996 India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka
Source: Cricinfo, 7 December 2009

Michael Jonathon Slater (born 21 February 1970) is a former Australian cricket player and television presenter. He played in 74 Test matches and 42 One Day Internationals for the Australia national cricket team. He was part of the Australian team that finished as runners-up in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Michael Slater was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. His parents moved to Australia from England in 1966. His father taught agriculture and science.

When Michael was 12, his mother left the family. He later shared that this was a difficult time. He found it hard to focus on schoolwork. Sport became the most important thing for him. He also faced some bullying at school.

His family was always involved in sports. So, it felt natural for Michael to play any game. At age 11, he was chosen for New South Wales cricket and hockey teams. He also made the state under-12 hockey team in 1981. He continued to play hockey in higher age groups.

In his early teenage years, Michael focused more on cricket. He joined an Under-16 team in Sydney. He did very well in batting. The next season, he was made captain of the New South Wales Under-16 team.

Overcoming Injury

When he was 17, Michael hurt his Achilles tendon in a school accident. He had surgery for this injury. At first, he was told his dream of playing cricket for Australia might be over. But after the operation, he returned to cricket.

He was then selected for the Under-19 state team. He also attended the Australian Institute of Sport Australian Cricket Academy in 1989. He later became vice-captain for the Under-19 carnival in Canberra. He scored two centuries in that series. This helped his team win the final against Victoria. He became one of the top run-scorers.

Cricket Career Highlights

Michael Slater was a right-handed batter. He also bowled occasionally with a right-arm medium pace. He played for the New South Wales Blues in Australia. He also played county cricket in England with Derbyshire.

He quickly moved up to the Australian national team. He was chosen for the Ashes tour of England in 1993. He was 23 years old then. He opened the batting with Mark Taylor. Mark Taylor also grew up in Wagga Wagga.

Test Match Success

In his very first Test match, Michael scored a half-century. In the next Test at Lord's, he scored his first century. He famously kissed the Australian coat of arms on his helmet to celebrate. He continued his good form against New Zealand in 1993–94. He scored 305 runs in that series.

In the 1994–95 Ashes series in Australia, Michael was the top run-scorer. He made 623 runs. The next season, he scored his first double-century. This was against Sri Lanka in Perth.

In the 1998–99 Ashes series, he scored 123 runs against England in Sydney. This score was a very large part of his team's total. It was one of the highest proportions ever in Test cricket.

Challenges and Retirement

Michael Slater was known for getting "nervous nineties." This means he often got out when he was close to scoring a century (90-99 runs). He was dismissed nine times in the nineties in Test matches.

He was dropped from the Australian Test team in late 1996 due to poor form. His last international series was the Ashes tour to England in 2001. He started well with 77 runs in his first innings. But his form then dropped a lot. Another player, Justin Langer, took his place as opening batter.

Michael Slater faced a health condition that affected his mood. This made it hard for him to continue playing professionally. After 74 Test matches, he left professional cricket.

Life After Cricket: Media Work

After his cricket career, Michael Slater became a television presenter and commentator.

Television Roles

In 2005, he worked as a commentator for Channel 4 in the UK. In 2006, he joined Nine's Wide World of Sports cricket commentary team. He also appeared on a health show called What's Good For You?. He was a contestant on Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice in 2006.

From 2009 to 2010, he was the sports presenter for Weekend Today. He also hosted Australia's Greatest Athlete in 2009. He co-hosted The Footy Show, a rugby league TV program. He also hosted The Cricket Show. In 2012, he commentated on diving for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In 2018, he joined the Seven Network to commentate on Test Cricket and Big Bash League. In 2021, he traveled to India to commentate on the Indian Premier League. He later left the Seven Network.

Radio Contributions

Michael Slater also worked in radio. He was a regular guest on the Dead Set Legends sports show on Triple M Sydney. He also filled in as a co-host for the Big Sports Breakfast show on Sky Sports Radio.