MELBOURNE, Nov 15: Australian cricket commentator Jim Maxwell has confirmed his colleague Peter Roebuck was about to be detained for questioning over an alleged sexual assault when he apparently jumped to his death from his hotel room in Cape Town, South Africa.

Maxwell, who worked with renowned cricket writer and analyst Roebuck at the Australian Broadcasting Corp., said police told him they were about to detain Roebuck over allegations made by a Zimbabwean man in his 20s.

In an ABC interview, Maxwell said Roebuck telephoned him in an “extremely agitated and desperate state,” telling him he needed help in finding a lawyer.—AP