Peter Roebuck

Peter Roebuck
Personal information
Full name Peter Michael Roebuck
Born (1956-03-06)6 March 1956
Oddington, Oxfordshire, England
Died 12 November 2011(2011-11-12) (aged 55)
Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Right-arm off break
Role Batsman
Relations Paul Roebuck (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1992–2002 Devon
1980 Marylebone Cricket Club
1975–1977 Cambridge University
1974–1991 Somerset
First-class debut 21 August 1974 Somerset v Warwickshire
Last First-class 23 August 1991 Somerset v Yorkshire
List A debut 3 May 1975 Combined Universities v Worcestershire
Last List A 13 September 2001 Devon v Bedfordshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A
Matches 335 298
Runs scored 17558 1280
Batting average 37.27 29.81
100s/50s 33/93 5/38
Top score 221* 120
Balls bowled 7606 1785
Wickets 72 51
Bowling average 49.16 25.09
5 wickets in innings 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 n/a
Best bowling 6/50 4/11
Catches/stumpings 162/– 74/–
Source: Cricinfo, 21 August 2009

Peter Michael Roebuck (6 March 1956 – 12 November 2011) was an English cricketer who achieved later renown as an Australian newspaper columnist and radio commentator. A consistent county performer with over 25,000 runs, and "one of the better English openers of the 1980s",[1] Roebuck captained the English county side Somerset between 1986 and 1988. During 1989, Roebuck also captained an England XI one-day cricket team in two matches.[2] His post-playing career as an erudite writer earned him great acclaim as a journalist with the Sunday Times and later as an author.[1] Roebuck committed suicide in Cape Town, South Africa, on 12 November 2011 after being asked by police to answer questions about an allegation of sexual assault.[3] A book by Tim Lane and Elliot Cartledge titled Chasing Shadows – The Life and Death of Peter Roebuck was published in October 2015.[4]

Early life

Roebuck was born in the village of Oddington,[5] outside Oxford, on 6 March 1956, the son of two schoolteachers and one of six children; he attended Millfield School where his mother was a mathematics teacher and his father an economics teacher. The headmaster, Jack Meyer, a former Somerset CCC Captain, had offered his parents employment at the school so that they could afford the fees.[6] Meyer was an unconventional headmaster who wanted to encourage cricket talent. On entering Meyer's office for the interview for admission, Roebuck found an orange flying through the air towards him; he caught it, and in his book It Never Rains speculated whether he would have got into Millfield if he had dropped it. He later studied law at Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge, graduating with first class honours in 1977.[5] However he never practised law, finding it too confining.[5]

Cricket career

Roebuck was a right-handed batsman, often used as an opener, and occasionally bowled right-arm offspin. He played for Somerset's second eleven at the age of 13 and regular first-class cricket from 1974 until his retirement in 1991. He later played Minor Counties cricket for Devon.

In 335 first-class matches he scored 17,558 runs at an average of 37.27, making 33 centuries with a highest score of 221*, and took 72 wickets at 49.16. In 298 one-day matches, he scored 7244 runs at 29.81 while taking 51 wickets at 25.09.[7]

On the county circuit, Roebuck's nickname was Rupert. This arose when the Essex captain, Keith Fletcher, once addressed him as Rupert, in the mistaken belief that it was actually his name.[8]

In 1988 Roebuck was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year.[9]

1986 controversy

Roebuck became a controversial figure in 1986 when, at the end of his first season as captain of Somerset, he was instrumental in the county's decision not to renew the contracts of its two overseas players, Viv Richards and Joel Garner, whose runs and wickets had brought the county much success in the previous eight years.

Roebuck and his supporters argued that both Richards and Garner were now ageing, that individually and collectively their contributions had declined dramatically and that younger overseas and home-grown players should be recruited to replace them. They cited the recent performance of the team in the County Championship — namely, bottom in 1985 and next-bottom in 1986 — and their failure in one-day competitions since winning the NatWest Bank Trophy in 1983.

It should also be understood that a change in the TCCB (Test and County Cricket Board) regulations meant that only one overseas player would be allowed in each county team rather than two as previously - meaning that Somerset would not be able to field both Richards and Garner.

Opposition to the decision not to re-employ Richards and Garner came loudest from Somerset's English-born star, the all-rounder Ian Botham, who refused a new contract for himself and joined Worcestershire. In the event, under Roebuck's captaincy and with Martin Crowe of New Zealand and Steve Waugh of Australia as overseas players, Somerset improved a little in 1987, though they remained among the weaker counties for a further six seasons. After many years of bitterness and the eventual removal of Roebuck from the club, Richards was honoured with the naming of a set of entrance gates and a stand after him at the County Ground, Taunton.

Post-cricket career

Commentator and journalist

His behind-the-scenes journal of Somerset's progress during the 1983 season, It Never Rains, first established him as a talented writer on the sport.[10]

Having retired as a player and relocated to Australia, Roebuck wrote columns for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (Melbourne) and ESPNcricinfo, as well as commentating for the ABC radio cricket coverage in Australia. He became known for wearing his trademark straw sunhat at all times, even inside the commentary box.[11]

He felt there was too much nationalism in Australian cricket writing and that it should be avoided at all costs when analysing the game. He was one of the few global voices in the game without allegiance to any nation, team or player.[10]

A traditionalist at heart, he was one of the last journalists in cricket to acquire a laptop and mobile phone and expressed surprise and delight when he found them quite useful.[12]

Roebuck was often critical of the successful Australian cricket team and, in particular, the Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Following Australia's narrow victory in the second Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2007–08, Roebuck accused the Australians of "bad sportsmanship and triumphalism", describing the Australian team as a "pack of wild dogs" and writing that Ponting has "shown not the slightest interest in the well-being of the game, not the slightest sign of diplomatic skills, not a single mark of respect for his accomplished and widely admired opponents."[13]

Roebuck was described as an astute judge of cricketers, a contrarian and a master wordsmith, and his writing was described as lean, erudite, fluent, perceptive and vibrant.[11][12]

Philanthropy

In 2006, Roebuck established the Learning for a Better World Trust (LBW) to help students from cricket-playing developing countries to complete tertiary education.[11][14][15] He resigned from the Trust in 2008.[5] In addition to supporting the LBW Trust, Roebuck spent A$100,000 of his own money to help put African youths through high school and university.[16] Psychology Maziwisa, a Zimbabwean lawyer Roebuck had mentored and whose education he had funded, wrote a tribute in which he stated that Roebuck had over 35 Zimbabweans in his care at the time of his death, and he had spent approximately $500,000 of his own money to "realise African dreams".[17]

Personal life

Roebuck spent his last years residing in Straw Hat Farm, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, as well as Bondi, Sydney, Australia, where he owned two houses.[18][19] He grew increasingly estranged from England,[12][20] but kept in regular touch with his mother and siblings.[5] He became an Australian citizen.[21] His colleague Malcolm Knox said of Roebuck that "nothing could rile him more, after he became an Australian citizen, than to be described as an Englishman of any kind, even a former one."[22]

In 2005 Roebuck's father wrote that Peter is an "unconventional loner with an independent outlook on life, an irreverent sense of humour and sometimes a withering tongue."[16]

Very much an introvert, he was a solitary and complex person[11] who preferred to read a book while eating alone rather than spend time in the company of his colleagues.[23]

Assault conviction

In 1999, while working as a commentator in South Africa, Roebuck met three cricketers, all aged 19, and offered to coach them, inviting them to live at his home in England. He warned them beforehand that he would use corporal punishment if they failed to obey his "house rules". He caned all three men on their (clothed) buttocks at different times for misbehaviour and in 2001 was given a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of common assault.[20] He told the court, "Obviously I misjudged the mood and that was my mistake and my responsibility and I accept that."[24] Henk Lindeque, one of Roebuck’s victims, said, "The problem was not so much that he caned us but wanted to examine the marks. That’s when I decided to get out of his house."[25] Lindeque stated that he held no ill will toward Roebuck and was saddened to hear of his death.[20]

Death

Roebuck arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, on 7 November 2011 to report on a Test Match between South Africa and Australia for The Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).[26] He was staying at the Southern Sun Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town, on 12 November, when the South African Police Service entered the hotel, claiming to desire to speak to him about an alleged sexual assault on a 26-year-old Zimbabwean man.[27][28] The man had alleged that Roebuck had "groomed" him through Facebook, asking him to "bring [a] stick in case I need to beat you" once they had arranged to meet. At their claimed meeting Roebuck allegedly pinned the man to a hotel bed and sexually assaulted him, leaving him feeling suicidal.[28]

After requesting that he be allowed to go to his room to change his clothes, Roebuck called the ABC's Jim Maxwell in his hotel room and asked him to find him a lawyer and to then come to his hotel room.[29]

At 9.15pm, Roebuck died after jumping from the sixth floor of the Southern Sun Hotel.[30] He landed on the awning outside the entrance to the hotel,[31] causing what was described by Australian cricket writer Peter Lalor, who later saw Roebuck's body at the mortuary, as "serious head trauma".[32] Roebuck's body was taken to the Salt River State mortuary in the early hours of the next morning.[32] A statement issued by South African police stated that Roebuck had committed suicide[10] and that an inquest into the matter would be held.[33]

Students residing at Roebuck's farm in Natal, where he lived for six months of every year, stated that no corporal punishment was ever meted out at the residence.[34] A law graduate who speaks for the housemates at Straw Hat Farm said of the sexual assault allegation: "This is not the Peter we knew."[34]

In January 2012 Australian journalist Adam Shand published extensive research on Roebuck's dealings with the young men who lived with him in South Africa.[35]

Legacy

Roebuck was Ed Cowan's mentor and former teacher at Cranbrook School. Cowan's maiden Test century came in the First Test between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba, Brisbane, on 12 November 2012, a year to the day after Roebuck's death. Cowan dedicated the century to Roebuck's memory.[36]

Biography

In mid-2014 a former colleague of Roebuck's at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Tim Lane, and writer Elliot Cartledge were commissioned to research his life story and investigate the circumstances of his death. Associates of Roebuck such as Vic Marks, Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Jonathan Agnew and Matthew Engel are quoted. The Zimbabwean man at the centre of the controversy that led to Roebuck's death, Itai Gondo, provided testimony. The book was released in the UK, Australia and New Zealand in late 2015.[4]

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 Steen, Rob (15 November 2011). "A sharp mind, a tormented soul". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "Netherlands v England XI". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  3. ↑ Hannan, Liz; Jensen, Erik; Hennig, Wanda (15 November 2011). "Roebuck in a state of despair: 'He just had a brain snap - that is all I can assume'". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2011. On arrival, Maxwell found two policemen and Roebuck stunned by news that a 26-year-old Zimbabwean man had accused him of sexual assault.
  4. 1 2 Cartledge, Elliot; Lane, Tim (2015). Chasing Shadows: The Life and Death of Peter Roebuck. Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1743790120.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Knox, Malcolm (2011). "Cricket's public voice and private man". smh.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Roebuck, Peter (1985). It Never Rains: A Cricketer's Lot. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0047960965.
  7. ↑ "Peter Roebuck". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  8. ↑ East, Ray; Dellor, Ralph (1984). A Funny Turn: Confessions of a Cricketing Clown. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0047960868.
  9. ↑ "Cricketer of the Year, 1988 - Peter Roebuck". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. John Wisden & Co. 1988. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 Coverdale, Brydon; Brettig, Daniel; Moonda, Firdose (13 November 2011). "Peter Roebuck dies aged 55". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Vale Roebuck, master wordsmith". The Age. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 Baum, Greg (13 November 2011). "Cricket loses a gifted allrounder". The Age. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  13. ↑ Roebuck, Peter (8 January 2008). "Arrogant Ponting must be fired". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "The LBW Trust - About". LBWTrust.com.au. LBW Trust. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  15. ↑ Faulkner, John (22 September 2011). "Senate debates: Adjournment - LBW Trust". Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  16. 1 2 Badel, Peter (14 November 2011). "Cricket journalist Peter Roebuck dies at Cape Town hotel after police visit". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  17. ↑ Maziwisa, Psychology (2011). "Peter Roebuck ... a tribute from his first African son". The Age. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  18. ↑ English, Peter (13 November 2011). "An irreplaceable man". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  19. ↑ Hannan, Liz (2011). "Roebuck's family tells of pride in his legacy". smh.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  20. 1 2 3 Badel, Peter (2011). "Henk Lindeque lifts the lid on the secret life of a cricket master Peter Roebuck". news.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  21. ↑ "Peter Roebuck Home Page". peterroebuck.com. 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  22. ↑ Knox, Malcolm (14 November 2011). "The riddle of Roebuck, who gave us so much yet gave so little away". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  23. ↑ Conn, Malcolm (14 November 2011). "Peter Roebuck a true independent who did not seek popular vote". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  24. ↑ "Cricketer sentenced for caning trainees", BBC News Online, 19 October 2001.
  25. ↑ Flanagan, Jane (14 November 2011). "Cricket writer Peter Roebuck leaps to his death from hotel room as he is quizzed by 'sex attack' police". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  26. ↑ "Roebuck dies aged 55". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  27. ↑ Ford-Kritzinger, Nadine (14 November 2011). "Cricket suicide mystery". The New Age. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  28. 1 2 Parker, Nick (2011). "Student in Peter Roebuck sex attack claim". The Sun. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  29. ↑ "Roebuck jumped to his death from hotel window". cricketnext.in.com. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  30. ↑ "Tributes paid to Peter Roebuck, cricketer and sports writer". sportsjournalists.co.uk. Sports Journalists' Association. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  31. ↑ Badel, Peter (2011). "Sex assault claims emerge in Peter Roebuck death inquest". news.com.au. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  32. 1 2 Ford-Kritzinger, Nadine (2011). "'Peter pleaded for help, then he jumped'". The New Age. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  33. ↑ Stein, Ginny (14 November 2011). "Police confirm investigation into Roebuck suicide". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  34. 1 2 Henning, Wanda (2011). "Student comes to defence of benefactor Roebuck". smh.com.au. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  35. ↑ Shand, Adam (1 January 2012). "Sex, beatings, blackmail: the riddle over Roebuck". smh.com.au. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  36. ↑ "Cowan dedicates maiden ton to Roebuck". ABC News. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Ian Botham		 Somerset County Cricket Captain
1986–1988 		Succeeded by
Vic Marks
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