Former Somerset Captain Peter Roebuck Dies Aged 55

Former Somerset Captain Peter Roebuck Dies Aged 55

Peter Roebuck, pictured here in 1978 at the beginning of his career with Somerset

©Action Images / Sporting Pictures

Former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck has died aged 55 in South Africa, where he was covering the ongoing series between Australia and South Africa for ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald.

He was found dead in his hotel room while the Herald reported that he had been spoken to by the police earlier in the day. South African police later confirmed he had committed suicide.

An inquest into his death could last up to six weeks before an official casue of death can be recorded, according to South African police.

Roebuck captained a star-studded Somerset team between 1986 and 1988 that included Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Ian Botham and Joel Garner, also scoring 1,000 first-class runs in nine different seasons.

He finished his career with 17,558 first-class runs with 33 centuries before moving into journalism, writing for publications such as the Herald and The Age.

"[It's] incredibly sad news," Craig Norenbergs, ABC Grandstand manager, said.

"He was an integral part of the Grandstand commentary team and apart from being a magnificent print journalist.

"For us he could describe a game of cricket in such a way that even if you didn't like the game, you liked the way that he went about his business."

During his playing career that lasted from 1974 to 2001, Roebuck also played for Cambridge University, Devon and the MCC.

He played for Young England in 1980 and an England XI in 1989 during a tour to the Netherlands, captaining a side including future England internationals Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart.

"Peter was a wonderful writer who was the bard of summer for cricket-loving Australians," Herald sport managing editor Ian Fuge said.

"He was also an extraordinary bloke who will be sorely missed."

Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland added: "Peter was a familiar face around Australian cricket who had been with the team only hours before his sudden death.

"He bought particular insight to his commentary based on his lengthy experience as a first-class cricketer and captain, and combined that with a singular flair for the written and spoken word.

"He spoke his mind frankly and while one didn't necessarily always have to agree, you always respected what he had to say."

© Cricket World 2011