Oz writer committed suicide

Johannesburg - Renowned cricket writer Peter Roebuck committed suicide in his hotel room South African police confirmed to AFP on Sunday.

England-born Roebuck, 55 and a former first class cricketer, was covering the ongoing Test series between South Africa and Australia.

Captain Frederik van Wyk, spokesman for the South African Police in the Western Cape province, confirmed that a British citizen had been found in his room having committed suicide.

"I can confirm that the incident took place at a quarter past nine on Saturday," said van Wyk.

"A 55-year-old British citizen was found dead in a hotel room in Newlands, Cape Town. He was working as a cricket commentator for an Australian publication. He committed suicide.

"An inquest docket has been opened for investigation. I cannot say more at the moment."

He wouldn't confirm media reports that Roebuck was spoken to by local police earlier on Saturday and that people had seen him in agitated state following that.

The hotel where Roebuck was staying issued a statement admitting that something had taken place but without going into detail.

"There was an incident that occurred at Southern Sun Newlands last night that is currently under full police investigation," it read.

"However, it is our policy at Southern Sun that we do not, under any circumstances, divulge any details regarding any of our guests."

Roebuck studied law at Cambridge and played 335 first-class matches before making a career writing about the sport, quickly establishing an avid following with his forthright, intelligent prose.

He regularly commentated for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and wrote for the nation's Fairfax newspapers.