Michael Slater dropped from Channel 7 commentary panel

Channel Seven has decided to end its contract with cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Slater. Slater was contracted with Seven for a period of three years.

Slater had hit out at Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in May this year, after the Australian cricketers had to spend 2 weeks in the Maldives after the suspension of the first half of the 14th edition of the IPL.

Slater had stated that the Aussies being stranded in the Maldives was a disgrace, and lashed out at the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for the same. The former Australian cricketer even stated that he had sought the permission of the Australian Govt. to work in the IPL.

“If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect,” Michael Slater had tweeted back then.

You can see Michael Slater’s tweet below

If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It’s a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect

— Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021

Sports Head of Seven reveals why Michael Slater was dropped from commentary

And, Lewis Martin, who is the head of sport in Seven stated that Michael Slater’s contract not being renewed has nothing to do with his tweet against the Australian PM, but was a prudent business decision. Martin added that Slater is a great commentator as well.

“It’s not related to that. His contract was up and I had to make a prudent business decision. He’s a ripping guy, a great commentator but I had to make that hard executive decision, so we are not renewing his ­contract,” said Martin as quoted by The Australian.

Michael Slater played 74 Tests and 42 ODIs for the Australian cricket team. While he scored 5312 runs in the whites, the right-handed batsman amassed 987 runs in ODI cricket. The current 51-year-old played his last international match for the Australian side in August 2001, against the England side at Headingley.