Aussie star Andrew Symonds is sent home in shame

Tom Collomosse
4 Jun 2009

Andrew Symonds has been kicked out of the Australia squad and sent home from the World Twenty20 after breaking rules on drinking alcohol.

The controversial all-rounder's latest transgression will come as no surprise to cricket followers.

It is another incident in a long line of off-field antics which have put his Cricket Australia central contract at risk and led to him being left out of the squad for this summer's Ashes.

Symonds was not present at the
Aussies' net session at The Brit Oval this morning, the night after the entire Twenty20 squad attended a charity dinner, organised by the Professional Cricketers' Association, at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington.

It is also believed that Symonds went to a bar with some team-mates yesterday morning to watch an Australian rugby league game on television.

Skipper Ricky Ponting said: “I'm a little bit disappointed with the events of the last 24 hours. On the eve of a big tournament, it's far from ideal to lose one of our bigger Twenty20 players.

“We now have to focus on the 14 players, and the wheels are in motion to get a replacement in for Andrew as quickly as possible.

“No one can doubt his credentials as a player. You all know there are a number of his own commitments, and those to the team, that he's broken over the last 24-48 hours. They were his own commitments, and there was more than one thing that happened.

“It was the last straw here for this tour for him. There are other things happening around his personal life, and the decision we have come to was a relatively easy one. Will he bounce back? That's up to him.”

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland also called Symonds's actions “the final straw” and added that he had broken a number of rules.

Australia undoubtedly look a slightly weaker side without Symonds, who is regarded as one of the world's top Twenty20 players, and recently helped Deccan Chargers win the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

It remains to be seen how Australia respond in their first match of the tournament, against West Indies at The Oval on Saturday.

It is the most recent in a line of controversial episodes regarding the 33-year-old, who may now decide to retire from the game.

He chose to go fishing rather than attend a team meeting before a one-day international against Bangladesh last August. He was also banned from the tour to South Africa this year following a radio interview in which he made disparaging remarks about New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.
Symonds was also suspended for turning up drunk before Australia's embarrassing loss to Bangladesh in a one-day game during the 2005 Ashes tour.