Former Test cricketer and commentator Michael Slater has been charged with assaulting and trying to intimidate a man in a Sydney hospital, continuing his court troubles.
The 52-year-old didn’t appear before Manly Local Court on Wednesday, entering pleas of not guilty through a lawyer to two charges of common assault and one of attempted intimidation.
The alleged offences against a 36-year-old man occurred on July 18 at the Northern Beaches Hospital.
A court registrar ordered the police brief be served on Slater’s lawyer by September 28. Slater’s reply is due on October 12, when the matter returns to court.
A local court in April dismissed domestic violence charges against Slater, discharging the former opening batsman into the care of a doctor on the condition he completes a year-long treatment plan.
His lawyer had earlier raised Slater’s alcohol abuse and mental health concerns in answer to the cricketer contacting his ex-partner 84 times in one night, in breach of a restraining order.
Slater played in 74 Tests for Australia, scoring 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 after making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour of England.
He also played 42 one-day internationals before retiring from major cricket in 2004 and embarking on a successful commentary career with Nine and Seven networks.
Seven dropped him ahead of last summer’s cricket season, citing budgetary pressures.
Slater also made headlines in 2021 when criticising the government’s decision to impose a flight ban on all travellers from India in response to escalating COVID-19 infections.
At one stage he claimed then-prime minister Scott Morrison had “blood on his hands” over his handling of the situation.
Mr Morrison later described the comments as “obviously absurd”.
His Twitter feed has been inactive since.
© AAP 2022
