Former Hurricanes bowler faces court in child abuse case
Court appearance
Former professional cricketer Aaron Summers, 29, is facing charges of penetrative sexual abuse of a child and grooming intended to expose a young person to indecent material. According to prior reporting from Tasmanian outlets, police say the alleged offences occurred in Hobart on January 16, 2018, during the period when Summers was contracted to the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, a nationally televised T20 cricket competition.
Summers has previously pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates Court. He and a surety travelled from Perth to attend the latest hearing in person. During the session, defence lawyer Caroline Graves asked the court to allow future attendance by phone or videolink, noting the difficulties of interstate travel for routine administrative appearances.
Delayed proceedings
The case has progressed slowly through Tasmania’s lower courts. Graves said earlier this year that prosecutors delivered a substantial set of documents at the last moment, material she estimated would require several weeks to examine. That development delayed the timeline and contributed to earlier adjournments before the matter was transferred to the Supreme Court.
Summers was extradited from the Northern Territory to Tasmania in April, and his bail has been extended at each stage of the process. Magistrate Andrew McKee previously signalled that the matter was appropriate for the higher court, where more serious charges are typically handled.
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Background on Summers and his cricket career
Although Summers had a short professional career, he attracted attention because of his unusual path into elite cricket. He played a single Big Bash League match for the Hurricanes in late 2017 and later appeared in three one-day matches for Tasmania in early 2018. Known primarily for his pace, he was at one stage promoted as bowling faster than established teammates Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills, both of whom have international profiles.
Summers later became the first overseas player to take part in Pakistan’s relaunched domestic cricket competition in 2020, a move that drew interest both for its novelty and for his effort to revive a career that had stalled in Australia. In an earlier interview with The Cricketer magazine, he said, “I know I've got a desirable talent, I'm one of the quickest blokes going around the world. I bowl quick. That's my point of difference.”
Cricket, particularly the Big Bash League, occupies a significant place in Australian sports culture. The league runs during summer and often introduces younger or lesser-known players to national audiences. Summers’ brief appearances therefore brought him more visibility than his short playing record might suggest, which is one reason the case has received widespread media attention despite his limited on-field career.
How the case moves forward
The Supreme Court has scheduled the matter to return in March for further procedural steps. Summers has not yet entered formal pleas to the charges now before the higher court, and additional assessments of the late-disclosed evidence will shape how quickly the case proceeds.
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