A huge fan of Sir Richard Hadlee, Graeme Labrooy modelled his bowling action on the great Kiwi all-rounder, albeit not with the same degree of success. Largely a swing bowler who was especially effective on helpful tracks, Graeme’s international career was short and largely unimpressive, although there were moments of brilliance at times. However, the consistency was missing and hence, he barely played many international games across a career spanning six years. He wasn’t a mug with the bat either and could not only stick around, but also attack the bowlers as his only half-century in Tests, in 1991, showed. Graeme was far more effective in domestic cricket but couldn’t make the transition to the biggest stage smoothly. He did register a five-wicket haul at the Gabba though and produced a few 4-fers too but largely, he was an inconsistent pacer. He got more opportunities in ODIs but again, had underwhelming returns. After retirement, Graeme shifted to officiating and became an ICC Match Referee and also was a board member of the Federation of International Cricketer’s Association. In 2017, he got appointed as the Chairman of Selectors for the Sri Lankan national team.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan