Mark Taylor  6th Australian to score over 6,000 runs in Test cricket: Part 2

after (in order of runs scored): Allan Border, David Boon, Greg Chappell, Don Bradman and Neil Harvey.  After the 1997 Ashes Tour, Mark had scored 6,116 runs and had taken 123 catches.  On his return from this tour, PM John Howard said 'All my life I really have regarded the captain of the Australian cricket team as the absolute pinnacle of sporting achievement - and really the pinnacle, almost of human achievement in Australia.  It is a tremendous personal pleasure to be able to salute someone with so many Australian characteristics.  Mark you have ability, you have superb professionalism, you have enormous grit, you have capacity to fight back from adversity, you are a great family man and you are a real inspiration to sports men and women all around this country.  Can I say, on behalf of a proud and grateful nation, that you have occupied the greatest sporting spot this country can offer anybody with decency and grace, with professionalism and great skill'.

His final Test match was at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 5 January 1999 against England.  In his career, he had played 104 Tests and made 19 Centuries, the largest of which was 334 runs (not out) against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998.  This equalled the great Sir Donald Bradman's Australian Test batting record.

Mark's 7525 Test runs at 43.49 is a record among Australian batsmen, only second to Allan Border,at that time.His 157 Test catches beat Border's previous world record for a non-wicketkeeper by one.

Mark captained Australia in 50 Tests, winning 26, losing 13 and drawing 11.  He lost only three series as Captain (Pakistan 1994 – 1995, India 1996 – 1997 and 1997 – 1998).  In International One Day Cricket, Mark also had a strong record.  He played in 113 matches, 67 as Captain, with 36 wins, 30 losses and 1 tie.  He scored 3514 runs, with one Century and 28 innings of 50.

On 2 February 1999 Australian Captain Mark Taylor announced his retirement from International cricket