Australian cricket great Michael Slater arrested on domestic violence charges

Former Australian cricketer and TV presenter Michael Slater. Photo / Getty

Former Australian cricket great Michael Slater has been arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident.

NSW Police confirmed an investigation was launched after officers received reports of a domestic violence incident alleged to have occurred on Tuesday.

As part of their investigation, detectives attached to the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command attended a home at Manly on Sydney's northern beaches about 9.20am on Wednesday and spoke with a 51-year-old man.

A police spokeswoman said the man had since been arrested and was taken to Manly police station.

No charges have been laid yet and she said there was no further information available at the moment.

Slater, a flamboyant opening batsman, played 74 Tests and 42 One Day Internationals for Australia between 1993 and 2001 before moving into commentary.

He was recently axed by the Channel 7's cricket coverage team following a string of tweets criticising the Prime Minister while staying in the Maldives when the Indian Premier League was suspended in May.

Slater was commentating on the tournament until he left early due to India's escalating Covid-19 crisis, but at the time the Australian government had banned overseas arrivals from the subcontinent nation, including returning Australians.

"If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!!" Slater tweeted in May.

"Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system.

"I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect.

"And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early."

If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect

— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021

And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early. So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It's called empathy. If only our government had some!

— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021

Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled Slater tweets "absurd".

Earlier this month, Channel 7 Head of Sport Lewis Martin said in a statement the network decided not to renew Slater's contract for the 2021-22 summer.

"Unfortunately business decisions have to be made from time to time and unfortunately we're not in a position to renew it," he said.