Slumdog Slater not always wrong answer
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
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Philip Derriman, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, asks why is Michael Slater's name included as a possible answer to a quiz question in one of Slumdog Millionaire’s crucial scenes.
Slater's own explanation, according to someone who talked to him about it, is that the filmmakers wanted to include an answer that was obviously wrong - and Slater's name was the one chosen. Why? Maybe because the movie's writer, Simon Beaufoy, who is English and presumably follows cricket, happened to see Slater commentating on a cricket telecast around the time he was working on the screenplay.
In one sense, though, Slater's name was not really out of place, for he was certainly up there with the other three batsmen in terms of natural ability. Because of later setbacks, we tend to forget what a brilliant player the young Slater was.
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo