| Peter Roebuck |
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Tall, bespectacled and of bookish appearance, Roebuck was a right-handed batsman, often used as an opener, and occasionally bowled right-arm Offspin . He played for Somerset's second eleven at the age of 13, and regular first-class cricket from 1974 until his retirement in 1991 . He later played Minor Counties cricket for Devon .
Roebuck became a controversial figure in 1986 when, at the end of his first season as captain of Somerset, he was instrumental in the county's decision not to renew the contracts of its two overseas players, Viv Richards and Joel Garner , whose runs and wickets had brought the county much success in the previous eight years. Roebuck and his supporters argued that Richards and Garner were now ageing, that their contributions had declined dramatically and that younger overseas and home-grown players should be recruited to replace them. They cited the recent performance of the team in the County Championship – bottom in 1985, and next-bottom in 1986 – and its failure in one-day competitions since winning the NatWest Bank Trophy in 1983. Opposition to the decision not to re-employ Richards and Garner came loudest from Somerset's English-born star, the all-rounder Ian Botham , who refused a new contract for himself and joined Worcestershire . In the event, under Roebuck's captaincy and with Martin Crowe of New Zealand and Steve Waugh of Australia as overseas players, Somerset improved a little in 1987, though they remained among the weaker counties for a further half dozen seasons. Roebuck himself was rewarded by being named as a Wisden Cricketer Of The Year in 1988. Roebuck in 2001 was given a suspended jail sentence after admitting caning three young cricketers he had offered to coach. He pleaded guilty to three charges of common assault involving three South African teenagers between 1 April and 31 May, 1999. He had pleaded not guilty to three counts of causing actual bodily harm, which was accepted by the prosecution. He now resides in Sydney , Australia , where he writes columns for the Sydney Morning Herald , and the Melbourne Age , as well as commentating for the ABC radio cricket coverage in Australia. He is regarded as one of the more analytical and intellectual commentators currently in service, and is known for wearing his trademark straw sunhat at all times, even in the commentary box. SOURCES http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/106221.html Reports of caning incident BBC News Telegraph |
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