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Ace writer Roebuck commits suicide
Source: Agencies |
November 14, 2011, Monday
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FORMER Somerset captain and renowned cricket writer and broadcaster Peter Roebuck has committed suicide at a hotel in Cape Town where he was covering the South Africa-Australia test series.
He was 55.
South African police released a statement yesterday confirming Roebuck had taken his own life on Saturday night at a hotel in the suburb of Claremont, minutes from the Newlands ground where South Africa beat Australia by eight wickets in the first test on Friday.
Roebuck, whose straw hat made him instantly recognizable in the press box, had been with the Australian team just hours before his death.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said that Roebuck's body was found outside his room at the hotel, but would not give further details on the nature of the death other than to say it was suicide.
"I can confirm that an incident took place at about 21:15 last night where a 55-year-old British national who worked as an Australian commentator committed suicide," van Wyk said. "The circumstances around the death are being investigated and an inquest docket has been opened."
Van Wyk also would not comment on reports that Roebuck had been questioned by police at the hotel earlier on Saturday, saying he could not elaborate on that.
Roebuck, who scored more than 17,000 first class runs, was instrumental in the departure of West Indians Vivian Richards and Joel Garner, as well as England captain Ian Botham, from Somerset during his tempestuous reign as captain in the late 1980s.
After retiring from the game in 1991, Roebuck moved to Australia and forged a career as a stylish and strongly opinionated cricket writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, Melbourne's The Age and latterly the hugely popular Cricinfo website. He also worked as a radio commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"Peter was a wonderful writer who was the bard of summer for cricket-loving Australians," said Ian Fuge, the Herald's managing editor of sport.
Educated at Cambridge, Roebuck played 335 first-class matches between 1974-91 and was considered unlucky to never play for England.
He was 55.
South African police released a statement yesterday confirming Roebuck had taken his own life on Saturday night at a hotel in the suburb of Claremont, minutes from the Newlands ground where South Africa beat Australia by eight wickets in the first test on Friday.
Roebuck, whose straw hat made him instantly recognizable in the press box, had been with the Australian team just hours before his death.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said that Roebuck's body was found outside his room at the hotel, but would not give further details on the nature of the death other than to say it was suicide.
"I can confirm that an incident took place at about 21:15 last night where a 55-year-old British national who worked as an Australian commentator committed suicide," van Wyk said. "The circumstances around the death are being investigated and an inquest docket has been opened."
Van Wyk also would not comment on reports that Roebuck had been questioned by police at the hotel earlier on Saturday, saying he could not elaborate on that.
Roebuck, who scored more than 17,000 first class runs, was instrumental in the departure of West Indians Vivian Richards and Joel Garner, as well as England captain Ian Botham, from Somerset during his tempestuous reign as captain in the late 1980s.
After retiring from the game in 1991, Roebuck moved to Australia and forged a career as a stylish and strongly opinionated cricket writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, Melbourne's The Age and latterly the hugely popular Cricinfo website. He also worked as a radio commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"Peter was a wonderful writer who was the bard of summer for cricket-loving Australians," said Ian Fuge, the Herald's managing editor of sport.
Educated at Cambridge, Roebuck played 335 first-class matches between 1974-91 and was considered unlucky to never play for England.
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