Mg-3Al-1Zn magnesium alloy sheets rolled at 350 degrees C, 450 degrees C and 525 degrees C, which exhibit approximately the same grain size but a significant decrease in basal texture intensity with increasing rolling temperature, were used for investigating the influence of initial texture on deep drawing behaviour at room temperature. The sheets rolled at 350 degrees C and 450 degrees C fracture at drawing ratios of 1.5 and 1.7, respectively, while the sheet rolled at 525 degrees C can be successfully drawn at a large drawing ratio of 1.8. The fracture site changes from the shoulder of drawn cup to the edge of the flange with the weakening of initial basal texture. At the flange, the basal texture dramatically changes to the TD-texture with basal planes perpendicular to the sheet plane accompanied with sheet thickening. Both tensile twinning and basal slip contribute to this texture change due to compressive stress along the circumferential direction. In the case of weak initial texture, relatively restricted tensile twinning and more activated basal slip delay the development of the TD-texture, which is favoured for maintaining deformation capability at the flange and in turn enhances deep drawability. The deformation behaviour is discussed in terms of the change in Schmid factor for basal slip during deep drawing. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.