A technically correct and diligent batsman, Graham Yallop generally batted near the top of the order for Australia and captained his country in seven Tests. Yallop made his Test debut in 1975-76 against the West Indies. He missed selection the following season but became a core member of the Australian team in the late 1970s when more senior players joined World Series Cricket. Yallop performed well on a tough tour of the West Indies in 1977-78, scoring three half-centuries, and was appointed captain for the home Ashes series the following summer. However, his side was inexperienced (Yallop himself was an eight-Test "veteran" before the series), and the tourists powered to a 5-1 victory under Mike Brearley's keen leadership. Injuries and the Australian side's re-integration after WSC reduced Yallop's international appearances in the early-mid 1980s, and his decision to join rebel tours of South Africa from 1985 led to the end of his first-class career. His talent, however, was on full display in the 1983-84 five-Test series against Pakistan, where he accumulated 554 runs at 92.33, including a marathon innings of 268 in the fourth Test at the MCG.
Anthony Fallick