Former Australia opener Michael Slater has claimed his public spat with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison could be why Channel 7 axed him as a commentator ahead of the Ashes.
Slater was dropped by Channel Seven in October, five months after the spat, with the organisation citing budget reasons.
However, Slater believes his run-in with Morrison "could have had a link to what’s just happened to me at Channel 7".
Reflecting on the incident in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he said: "I didn’t want to be disrespectful.
"I was highly emotional and people know I handle things differently. I was feeling completely overwhelmed.
"If I had my time again, bearing in mind it could have had a link to what’s just happened to me at Channel 7, no I wouldn’t do it again."
Back in May, Slater accused the Prime Minister of having "blood on his hands" after the Australian government decided to block citizens from returning to the country from India, where he was working as a commentator on the IPL at the time.
"If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home", he tweeted. "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.
"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!"
His comments are said to have not gone down well with Channel 7 chiefs at the time and Morrison called them "absurd".
