Former Australian opener and renowned commentator, Michael Slater, has been removed from the commentary panel by the TV network, Channel 7, after his criticism of Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
According to reports, Slater’s removal from the commentary panel is directly linked to his criticism of Australian PM despite Channel 7’s claims of removing him from the panel due to budgetary restrictions.
Slater had lashed out at PM Morrison for his strict restrictions implemented during the ongoing pandemic. Slater criticized the government’s decision of not allowing Australian citizens to travel back to the country. Slater and few other Australian commentators were not allowed to fly back to Australia from India during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May.
The 51-year old took to Twitter to lash out at the Prime Minister. He had tweeted, “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 the quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect.
“And for those who think this is a money exercise. Well, forget it. This is what I do for a living and I have not made a penny having left early. So please stop the abuse and think of the thousands dying in India each day. It’s called empathy. If only our government had some!”
Slater’s tweet had caused a stir in Australian media and the Prime Minister responded to his tweet by calling it absurd.
