Name:       Border, Allan R Born:   27/07/1955 Matches:   156  (1978-1994)

Batting Bowling Fielding Innings: 265  Overs: 651.5  Catches: 156  Not Outs: 44  Balls: 4009  Most Catch (Inns): 4  Aggregate: 11174  Maidens: 197  Most Catch (Match): 4  Average: 50.56  Runs: 1525  Wicket Keeping Highest Score: 205  Wickets: 39  Catches: 0  50s: 63  Average: 39.10  Stumpings: 0  100s: 27  5 Wicket Innings: 2  Most Catch (Inns): 0  200s: 2  10 Wicket Match: 1  Most Catch (Match): 0  300s: 0  Best (Inns):  7/46  Most Dism (Inns): 0  Ducks: 11  Best (Match):  11/96  Most Dism (Match): 0  Pairs: 1  Economy Rate:   2.28  Captaincy Opened Batting: 0  Strike Rate:   102.79  Matches/Won/Lost:   93/32/22  Scoring Rate 40.98      Tosses Won: 47 (50.54%)  Left Handed Batsman Left Arm Leg Spin Bowler

 

Allan Border wasn't a graceful batsman but the strong left-hander ended his career as one of only two men - India's Sunil Gavaskar is the other - to score over 10,000 Test runs. He wasn't a natural leader but he took a disjointed bunch of players from being a losing side to being the best in the world. Border made his debut in the baggy green cap during the 5-1 series defeat to the touring English in 1978/79. His first Test was at Melbourne, in the one match which Australia won, and the sixth game of that series was the last time in his career that he missed a Test match. His record of 153 consecutive games is 47 ahead of the next best - Gavaskar again. In 93 of those matches he was captain - another record.

 

Border's slow orthodox left arm bowling was under-used in Test cricket, always taking second place to his batting, but he was also an exceptional fielder close to the wicket. He was admired and respected by team-mates and opponents alike for his grit and uncompromising search for success, and loved by Australia for his unshakable doggedness.

 

Border's first years as captain were not happy ones. He was an inexperienced captain with an inexperienced team, three greats of the game - Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee - having just retired. During his early years as captain, he had played more Tests than all the other players combined.

 

Fortunes picked up slowly but it was only during the 1987 World Cup that Border started to shine as a captain. Australia were in awesome form, knocking over defending champions India in the first game and beating Pakistan by 18 runs in the semi-final. An estimated 90,000 watched the final at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. Border won the toss and opening pair David Boon and Geoff Marsh put on 75 as Australia went on to make 253 on a tricky pitch. England's batting also got off to a good start and at 135 for two, the game was wide open but Border's first ball provoked a fatal reverse sweep from Mike Gatting to begin a brisk fall of wickets, giving Australia their first title.

 

That victory was a catalyst for the evolution of a world-beating Test team. The likes of David Boon, Dean Jones, Craig McDermott, Ian Healy and the Waugh brothers helped Border become the first Australian captain in over 50 years to win back the Ashes in England, It all ended in acrimony, though. In 1994, a 38-year-old Border faced dispute with the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) over whether he could miss a tour of Pakistan and still face England later in the year. "They've forced my hand and pushed me into making a decision," Border, said as he was deposed as captain. "It was a tough decision for me. A part of me has died."

Border now works as a television analyst, his incisive views now as biting as his batting and captaincy techniques once were.