A medium-fast bowler capable of producing displays of quality swing bowling, Graeme Labrooy modeled his text book action on Richard Hadlee. Labrooy formed what seemed to be a promising new ball partnership with Rumesh Ratnayake but for a variety of reasons his Test career was brief. Capable with the bat, on his day he could produce an attacking array of strokes that often set the opposition team aback with its ferocity. Labrooy made an inauspicious debut against India, batting at No. 11 and taking one expensive wicket as batsmen dominated the Test. At Lord's against England he added 64 for the last wicket with Ravi Ratnayeke, scoring 42 stylish runs while claiming 4 wickets with the ball. His development was held back by Sri Lanka's sporadic Test schedule. Due to the political tension in his homeland all of his nine Tests spread over a lengthy period, were played overseas. On the Australian tour he captured his first five wicket haul taking 5 for 133 at the Gabba. On the tour of New Zealand he just seemed to finding his feet at international level taking the new ball with Rumesh Ratnayake. With the ball he captured 13 wickets. In the third Test at Auckland, unfortunately his final Test, he had a superb allround match. With the ball he captured 3 for 48 and 4 for 42 and with the bat he launched an astonishing display battering the Kiwi attack, scoring an unbeaten 70 in 80 balls with 14 boundaries.
Johann P Jayasekera