Cricket commentator Michael Slater charged over alleged domestic violence

Former Australian cricketer and commentator Michael Slater has been arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident.

The 51-year-old was arrested at his Sydney home on Wednesday and taken to a police station, local media reported.

New South Wales Police confirmed an alleged incident happened last week.

“Officers attached to the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced an investigation yesterday [on Tuesday] after receiving reports of a domestic violence incident alleged to have occurred on Tuesday 12 October 2021,” NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

“He was subsequently arrested and taken to Manly police station, where he was charged with use [of a] carriage service to menace/harass/offend and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm.”

Slater left the police station on Wednesday afternoon, accompanied by his solicitor James McLoughlin, and drove away in a red BMW.

Slater was granted police bail and will appear in Waverley Local Court on November 11.

The former batsman was part of the Australian cricket team from 1993 to 2001, playing 74 Tests.

He has since held prominent positions on TV but was let go last week by Australia’s Channel Seven, which cited financial pressures.

Mr Slater made headlines in May when he accused Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of having “blood on his hands” over his response to the pandemic.

It followed the government issuing a two-week ban on Australian citizens returning from India during the height of that nation’s coronavirus crisis.

The father-of-three had been in India at the time, commentating for local networks on the Indian Premier League season.