Tour of Sri Lanka 1987-88                Captain: Allan Border

Tour Cancelled

Would have been 52nd Test tour  and  second Test-playing tour of Sri Lanka

 (September 1987)

This three week tour of Sri Lanka was planned to be made en route to the World Cup competition in India and Pakistan, but was cancelled on 14 August 1987 because of the threat of terrorist activities in Sri Lanka. 

Andrew Zesers postponed his wedding, which was to be held on 20 September, before he learned that the tour was cancelled.

The tour was re-scheduled for April 1988 – provided the island was peaceful – and this arrangement was subsequently cancelled, too, by the Australian Cricket Board in February 1988.  Zimbabwe immediately offered the Australian Board an alternative tour, which was reluctantly declined.

Other Australian Tours

Previous tour

India 1986-87

Next tour

Members of the proposed Test tour party (15)

Comments taken from  ……

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(14 August 1987) : 

      25 yrs  10 months

N   New South Wales

Q  Queensland

S    South Australia

T   Tasmania

V   Victoria

W  Western Australia

Test Appearances made before the tour

Border 89, Boon 23, McDermott 17, Marsh 14, Reid 13, Waugh 13, Jones 10, Sleep 7, O’Donnell 6, Dyer 1, Taylor 1, May 0, Moody 0, Veletta 0, Zesers 0.

Background Team

Selectors

Laurie Sawle (Western  Australia) chairman,  Greg Chappell (Queensland),  Jim Higgs (Victoria), Bob Simpson (New South Wales)

Selection

The Australian Cricket Board appointed Mr Alan Crompton as manager

Unavailable: none

Tour Party Announced :  1987.

Not selected :  Greg Matthews

Fixtures cancelled

† not first-class

§  one-day international

(PSS) P Saravannamuttu Stadium, Colombo

(SSC)  Sinhalese Sports Club