Date set for Hookes hearing

The Melbourne bouncer charged over the death of David Hookes will face a ten-day preliminary hearing in November. Zdravko Micevic, 21, who has previously indicated he will plead not guilty to manslaughter, appeared briefly before the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

His bail was extended until November by Duncan Reynolds, the magistrate, and he then left the court, hiding his face under a black jumper as he walked past the media. Hookes was allegedly knocked to the ground during a scuffle outside St Kilda's Beaconsfield Hotel on January 18. He died soon after from his injuries, aged only 48.

Hookes played 23 Tests and 39 one-day internationals for Australia, and was famed throughout the cricket fraternity for slamming England's captain Tony Greig for five fours in five balls on his debut in the 1976-77 Centenary Test at Melbourne.