Allan Border played his heart out for sake of cricket for Australia

Great Cricketer of the Past: 'Allan Robert Border was one of Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1982. He was born on July 27th 1955.

A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. He played 156 Test matches in his career, a record until it was passed by fellow Australian Steve Waugh.

In 1978-79 he scored his maiden Test century (105) against Pakistan. This was at a time when World Series had been introduced.

He became the Australian captain in 1984-85 then regained the Ashes in 1989 and retained them in 1990-91 and 1993.

In the third Test of 1988-89 he became the first Australian to play in 100 Test matches. By his 100th Test he had scored 7,650 runs an average of 52.76 - 23 Test centuries and 109 catches - a fine record! From 1978-1994 he collected a world record breaking 10,695 runs from 147 games (an average of 51.17 per game). No other Australian has scored that many runs.

Border captained many times

He also captained more Tests than any other captain.

The 1989 Ashes tour was Border's first major series win as Test captain. He was subsequently named the 1989 Australian of the Year for his past in helping Australia regain the Ashes.

Border still retains the world record for the number of consecutive Test appearances of 153 and the number of Tests as captain. He was primarily a left-hand batsman but also achieved sporadic success as a part time left-arm orthodox spinner. He was subsequently named the 1989 Australian of the Year for his past in helping Australia regain the Ashes. The Australian cricketer of the year now receives the Allan Border Medal.

The India-Australia Test-Series has been named the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Border became a Member of the Order of Australia in 1986, and an Officer of the order of Australia in 1989.

He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990 and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.

Lara passed Border's mark

Coming on to the cricket in the past, Border amassed 11,174 Test runs (a world record until it was passed by Brian Lara in 2005). He hit 27 centuries in his Test career. He realised as Australia's most capped player and leading run-soccer in both Tests and ODIs.

In 1979, after Australia lost the first two Tests in the Ashes series, Border was selected for his Test debut at the MCG.

He made 29 and was run out for a duck in the second innings Test at Sydney, he was in a "lonely class of his own" by top-scoring in both innings with 60 not out and 45 not out as Australia lost the match and the Ashes.

Australia's unexpected victory in the 1987 World Cup proved to be a turning point and heralded the start of more prosperous times. In 1987-88, Australia defeated New Zealand for its first Test series victory in four years. Border's 205 runs in the Drawn Second Test at Addaide, his highest Test score, which took him past Greg Chappell as Australia's highest run - scorer.

Australia's unexpected victory in the 1987 World Cup proved to be a turning point and heralded the start of more prosperous times. In 1987-88, Australia defeated New Zealand for its first Test series victory in four years. Border hit 205 in the drawn Second Test at Adelaide, his highest Test score which took him past Greg Chappell as Australia's highest run-scorer. The Bicentennial Test against England at Sydney was drawn, then Australia won its inaugural home Test match against Sri Lanka. Border's contribution for the five Tests was 426 runs at 71.00 average.

Australia played Tests against New Zealand (2), Sri Lanka (2) and Pakistan (3). Australia won twice, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It was the first home season in six years that Australia went undefeated.

The season ended with a one-off Test in New Zealand, which Australia lost by nine wickets to concede the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Border ended the season with 328 runs at 41, with five half-centuries.

Australia reinforced its superiority over England with a convincing 3-0 win in the 1990-91 Ashes series: the three victories were by eight, nine and ten wickets respectively, and Border compiled 281 runs at 46.83.

I made a personal choice to have a firm control as captain be more stand-offish towards them (the English) Border said.

It was a hard thing to do and they all got the shifts, but it was all part and parcel of what I wanted to achieve.

The 1989 Ashes tour was Border's first major series win as Test captain. He consciously became a more aggressive leader in reaction to criticism that he was too ruthless. Australia won 4-0, its first victory in a Test series abroad since 1977 (apart from a one-off Test in Sri Lanka) and Australia's best result in England since The Invincibles tour of 1948.

Border set the tone for the series with attacking innings of 66 and 60 not out in the First Test. In all, he made six half-centuries to end with 442 runs at 73.66.

Cricket after retirement

Border continued playing first-class cricket after his international retirement. In 1994-95, he was a member of the Queensland team that won the Sheffield Shield for the first time. He has served as an Australian selector. The Australian cricketer of the year now receives the Allan Border Medal, with the inaugural award having been won by Glenn McGrath in 2000.

Two cricket grounds have been renamed in Border's honour. The Oval in Mosman, which was directly across from the Border family home and where Border played his early grade cricket, was renamed the Allan Border Oval and remains the home ground of the Mosman District Cricket Club.

The Neumann Oval in Brisbane has been renamed Allan Border Field and is occasionally used by Queensland as an alternative home ground to the The Gabba.

- ACdeS