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Cricket world mourns loss of David Hookes
Sporting figures, politicians and fans around the world have paid tribute to Victorian cricket coach and former Australian Test player David Hookes who has died in a Melbourne hospital after being attacked outside a St Kilda hotel on Sunday night.
A 21-year-old hotel security guard has been charged over the attack.
Hookes was celebrating Victoria's one-day win over South Australia at St Kilda's Beaconsfield Hotel when a fight broke out outside just before midnight on Sunday.
It is believed that the 48-year-old became involved in the brawl, sustained a blow to the head and went into cardiac arrest.
Paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious Hookes for about 30 minutes before rushing him to the Alfred Hospital.
Hookes's wife Robyn and his family maintained a bed-side vigil throughout the day but his condition remained unchanged. He died about 7:30pm (AEDT), surrounded by his family.
His brother, Terry Cranagh, broke the news to the media at the hospital and thanked the community for their support for David and his family.
"We the family of cricketer David Hookes wish to inform David's many friends, family members and fans that he passed away today at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne," Mr Cranagh said, reading from a statement.
"We trust that the police will conduct a full investigation into the cause of the incident and that the justice process will provide us with some insight into what occurred."
"We wish to thank those people involved in his care, including the bystanders and emergency paramedics," he added.
Condolences
Cricket Australia chairman Bob Merriman offered condolences to Hookes's family.
"Australian cricket mourns the passing of David Hookes," he said.
"On behalf of Australian cricket, I offer our deepest condolences to David Hookes's family and all those near and dear to him.
"All Australian cricket lovers will be in shock at the news of his tragic passing."
Victorian Bushrangers captain Darren Berry said: "On behalf of the Victorian players, both past and present, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our coach, David Hookes.
"David has been both a friend and a mentor to all of us and we are devastated by his passing," Berry said.
A long-time friend of Hookes, Graham Cornes, says he is in shock at his death.
"Just devastation, I was so confident this morning that he'd be able to pull through, that he'd be able to recover," Mr Cornes said.
Barry Gibbs, head of the South Australian Cricket Association when Hookes captained the state team in 1988, says he was a fierce-but-fair sportsman with a humble nature.
"It's a very, very sad day for not just South Australia and the cricket community but I think the whole of Australia because David Hookes was a very special individual," he said.
Former Western Australian Test cricketer Terry Alderman says Hookes was a man before his time in cricket.
"He was a flamboyant player and would have been really suited to the glut of the one day cricket that is played now, he would just fit in magnificently with his flair," he said.
Alderman, who roomed with Hookes on a tour in the West Indies in 1984, says his loss to cricket is enormous.
"He was offering as much as he did when he was playing the game, as a coach and a commentator, calling the game and nurturing a few young blokes there in Victoria - he's done a great job," he said.
Bouncer charged
Yesterday morning, Zdravco Micevic from St Albans, a security guard at the Beaconsfield Hotel, was charged with one count of assault.
Micevic was released on bail and will reappear in court in April.
As a part of his bail conditions, Micevic is not allowed to continue his work as a crowd controller and must not attend any licensed premises.
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