Former Australian Test star Michael Slater has been formally removed as a life member of Cricket New South Wales, marking a dramatic fall from grace for the once-celebrated batsman. The decision follows Slater's recent conviction and sentencing for serious domestic violence offences.
Conviction and Sentencing Details
The 55-year-old was sentenced in April this year after pleading guilty to seven charges, which included two counts of choking a woman. Supreme Court Justice Paul Freeburn sentenced Slater to four years' imprisonment, to be partially suspended after time already served. He had spent over 12 months in custody with multiple failed bail attempts prior to sentencing.
The remainder of his sentence is suspended for five years, meaning Slater will risk being returned to custody if he commits another serious offence during that period. Following his domestic violence sentencing, Slater was also cleared for release after pleading guilty to a separate drink and drug driving offence in Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
Cricket NSW Takes Decisive Action
Cricket NSW resolved to remove all honours from Slater once the court case concluded, with the final vote taking place on Monday night. Despite submitting a letter fighting to keep his titles, Slater was voted out as a life member. This action follows his earlier removal from the organisation's Hall of Fame in the wake of his legal troubles.
Slater, who became Cricket NSW's 229th life member in 2016, saw his membership formally revoked this week. The organisation moved decisively to wipe his name from its records, signalling a zero-tolerance stance on matters of this nature.
A Career Overshadowed by Personal Struggles
The court heard that Slater has a long history of mental health conditions and diagnoses, including alcohol use disorder. His defence barrister, Gregory McGuire, argued last August for bail conditions that included moving to NSW and entering rehabilitation, stating Slater was "clearly in the grip of a terrible alcohol addiction."
Slater's cricket career was illustrious. He made his Test debut during the 1993 Ashes tour and went on to play 74 Tests for Australia, scoring 5,312 runs at an average of 42.83 with 14 centuries. He also represented his country in 42 one-day internationals before retiring in 2004 and moving into a successful television commentary career.
However, his off-field life unravelled. A NSW magistrate convicted him in 2022 of common assault, breaching a restraining order, and two other offences against a woman. The court heard that Slater, while drunk and erratic, yanked the woman's hoodie causing her to fall into a kitchen benchtop. In the following months, he attempted to contact her more than 100 times via email, text, and phone calls in direct breach of a court order.
The stripping of his life membership represents the final severing of official ties between the cricketing institution and the former star, whose legacy is now indelibly marred by his criminal convictions.
