Shattered cricketers back in training - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Shattered cricketers back in training

23/01/2004 05:40:32 AM Comments (0)

The Victorian cricket team will return to training at the MCG today for the first time since the death of coach David Hookes.

Hookes, 48, died in hospital on Monday night from injuries suffered after he was knocked to the ground in a scuffle outside a bayside Melbourne hotel the previous night.

The Victorian cricket coach and media commentator had been at the Beaconsfield Hotel celebrating his team's one day win over South Australia just before he was bashed.

Bouncer Zdravko Micevic, 21, of St Albans, appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday where a charge of manslaughter was added to the assault charge laid over the incident on Monday.

Micevic's lawyer Brian Rolfe said his client would plead not guilty to both charges.

Mr Rolfe criticised media reporting of the case, saying the publicity had lead to his client receiving hate mail and death threats at his home.

The revelation came as Victorian cricket captain Darren Berry appealed for calm from angry fans and follows an incident where a brick was hurled through the window of Beaconsfield Hotel.

Speaking alongside four team mates and stand-in coach Greg Shipperd, Berry said the cricketers did not want to see any negative ramifications from Hookes' death.

"David was quick-witted and quick with the tongue, but he certainly wasn't an aggressive person in that sense," Berry said.

"But I suppose with the public, people will go through anger, denial, disappointment etcetera, but nothing's achieved with any of that (violence).

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