Former Australian cricketer dies after bashing

By GREG ANSLEY, Australia Correspondent


CANBERRA - Former Australian cricket star David Hookes died in hospital last night after being bashed outside a Melbourne pub.

A 21-year-old bouncer, Zdravco Micevic, has been charged with assaulting Hookes. He appeared in court yesterday before the cricketer died and was released on bail.

Hookes was reportedly technically dead on the footpath near St Kilda's historic Beaconsfield Hotel on Sunday night when paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.

He remained in a coma until last night when his family announced that he had died.

The colourful former test player, outspoken broadcaster and coach of the Victorian Bushrangers team was bashed after a night at the Beaconsfield to celebrate victory over South Australia in an IMG Cup game.

Witness Terry Palmer told radio station 3AW, for which Hookes works, that there had been "no aggro whatsoever" and that Hookes had been tucked away quietly in a corner.

"He was just a guy there having a beer," he said.

Trouble began after the Victorian players were asked to leave when the pub closed, and a confrontation began between two groups outside.

"There was a group of maybe 14 people involved in two groups," said one witness, Roman Longer.

"A security fellow was trying to step between the two groups, women were screaming and it was at that point we decided to call the police."

Another witness said Hookes' assailant stepped between the two groups and threw a left hook at Hookes' face.

"I heard a really loud cracking sound when this happened, and the guy that was hurt just fell backwards and smashed the back of his head on the road," he said. "This also gave out a sickening cracking sound, and I immediately thought he must have split his head open."

The identity of the man he was trying to save shook paramedic Marcus Stacey.

"When it became apparent who the patient was, having that person as a childhood hero, yeah, it does make it a little bit challenging."

The death has also shaken Australian cricket.

Hookes made his mark as an aggressive batsman who chalked up 10,439 runs in 136 first-class matches for South Australia, making more run scores than any other Sheffield Shield and Pura Cup player.

He played 23 tests and 39 one-day internationals for Australia.

Australian Test selector Allan Border has described his friend David Hookes as a "larger than life character".

The former test captain said news that Hookes had died was traumatic.

"It's hard to come to grips that we won't be seeing him again," Border told ABC radio in Brisbane.

"We've been very close mates going back to schoolboy cricket days so this has hit pretty hard. You just can't comprehend how it's come to this."

Border said Hookes was a person who challenged tradition and thought about cricket "outside the square".

"Hookesy was one of those larger than life characters who you just love being around," he said. "I also remember his cricket very fondly because of the way he played it in a swashbuckling style, but as a bloke he was right off the top shelf."

Border said he heard about Hookes when called at 4.30am by former team-mate Dean Jones.

"It's the type of phone call you dread," he said.

"We've been very close mates with Hookesy over a long time and Jonesy broke the news to me.

"You're in a state of shock because it just doesn't feel real because you were talking to him a few hours earlier.

"It's the most tragic thing."

David Hookes

* Hookes played 23 tests for Australia between 1977 and 1986.

* He scored 1306 runs at an average of 34.36, and scored 826 runs in 39 one-day internationals.

* The South Australian left-hander first played for Australia in the 1977 Centenary Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

* He scored a dashing half-century which included five boundaries off one over from England all-rounder Tony Greig.