Michael Slater

Personal information

Full name

Michael Jonathon Slater

Born

21 February 1970 (age 47)
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Nickname

Slats

Batting style

Right-handed

Bowling style

Right arm medium

International information

National side

Australia

Test debut (cap 356)

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

1991–2004

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	–	–	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	n/a	–	n/a
Best bowling	1/4	–	1/4	–
Catches/stumpings	33/–	9/–	116/–	31/–

Source: Cricinfo, 7 December 2009

Michael Jonathon Slater (born 21 February 1970) is an Australian television presenter and former professional cricketer who played in 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for the Australian cricket team from 1993 to 2001. He subsequently became a cricket commentator and he previously worked on rugby league coverage with The Footy Show where he was co-host with Paul "Fatty" Vautin. Slater's nickname is "Slats".

The son of Peter and Carole, Slater was born in the New South Wales rural city Wagga Wagga after his parents and two elder siblings (Julian and Tracey) had emigrated from the north-eastern coast of England in 1966. They originally migrated to Launceston, Australia by boat, after deciding against moving to Canada. In Launceston, Slater's father taught agriculture and science at high school, as he had done since graduating from college. After three years in Launceston, the Slaters moved to Wagga Wagga, and Peter became a lecturer in agriculture at what is now known as the Charles Sturt University. Slater lived in Wagga Wagga for his entire childhood, eventually leaving with only fond memories. He later wrote: "Wagga Wagga was a great place to grow up, for many reasons. It was a good size — it had a population of around 50,000 when we moved there — and it was in the country, with a great Australian climate. My family was always involved in sport, so from an early age it just seemed natural for me to play any game that was on offer."

When still in primary school and aged 11, Slater was selected in the New South Wales Primary School Sports Association cricket and hockey teams, something he described as "a very big thing" and "totally unexpected". A left-inner (an attacking player who helps out defensively), he also made the state hockey team at Under–12 level in 1981, before going on to later be selected in the Under–13, −15 and −17 teams. Slater's mother unexpectedly left the family in 1983, when Michael was just 12 years old. He later wrote about the tough personal times that followed.

After his mother left for good, Slater's education standards slipped, with sport becoming the "only thing [he] could focus on properly". School bullying accentuated his academic difficulties in Years 9 and 10, and he once ran home after it was suggested among fellow pupils that some bullies "were planning to get [him] after school". As cricket and hockey began to overlap in his early teenage years, Slater slowly turned the majority of his sporting appetite towards cricket. He joined an inner-western Sydney Under–16 side over the Christmas holidays. Despite not being fond of Sydney, Slater knew that he would have to move to the metropolis if he wanted to further develop his cricketing career. After topping the batting averages in the Under–17s in the following season, Slater was subsequently chosen as captain for the New South Wales Under—16 team. The carnival was not a personal success for the captain; however, he recalls that his team performed "well".

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