I was a late convert to the Andrew Symonds fan club and still only hold a junior member's ticket. For a long time I didn't think he was up to the job, especially in Test cricket but in the last few years he has proven me and a lot of other people wrong.
It's true that he made a major stuff up in 2005 when he turned up for an international match still half cut from the night before and since then there have been a couple of other misdemeanors of less consequence but he appears to be copping a fairly rare deal out of this Darwin fishing trip (mis)adventure. The report of the incident in Cricinfo states, "Symonds' passion for fishing is well documented and he took to the water early on Friday, the day before the first Bangladesh match. When a compulsory team meeting was called later that morning, Symonds did not know about it as he was already wetting a line. An optional training session was later held at the Marrara Cricket Ground, which he had already decided not to attend".
So lets see, he's out on the water on what is essentially a day off and some bright spark decides to call a team meeting after he has left and when he doesn't turn up he's hung out to dry by Cricket Australia and his buddies and made to look a complete tool by the Australian media. Come on, there's either a fair bit of detail missing from available reports or he has been treated rather poorly on this occasion.
If there's more to this story I'd like to read it.
Posted by: Shelley Jackson at September 3, 2008 4:55 AM
Well said David....Seems we arent getting all the facts or the CBA have right royaly dealt Roy a severly heavy handed reprimand....Semms very unfair too me...Someone say overkill???
Posted by: Nandun Senanayake at September 3, 2008 7:12 AM
Bangladesh isn't a team capable of beating a 10th XI of Australia. I don't see why Symonds couldnt take a day off before the match.
Posted by: Dave Barlow at September 3, 2008 6:40 PM
Nandun Senanayake, is this the same Bangladesh that beat the 1st XI Australians in Cardiff in 2005?? He's a professional cricketer. It's his job. If my boss told me to do something, I would do it. If I didn't do it, I would probably be disciplined, same thing that's happened to Symonds.
Posted by: Rastawookie at September 3, 2008 11:51 PM
Some good points there. I have a feeling there is a lot more to this that has been surpressed from the public, otherwise Symonds wouldn't have copped so much heat over this. Not trying to throw petrol on the smouldering embers, but I have heard whispers that alcohol was a key factor in this indiscretion too.
@ Nandun, its irrelevant who he's playing against, a team meeting is a team meeting whether you are playing England, Bangladesh or the Hornsby Under-9's. The issue isn't whether or not the Australians were going to win, it was about developing some team unity and some focus before a very important tour. Fishing (and possibly getting drunk) the day before an international isn't really acceptable. Its an honour to play cricket for Australia, it should be treated as such
Posted by: Josephus at September 5, 2008 12:20 AM
There's certainly more to the story. If you can find it, an article in The Age, by Alex Brown and Chloe Saltau entitled "Symonds still wrestling with name-calling row" is a priority read.
While I acknowledge that on the surface and in isolation, his misdemeanour appears relativelty minor, I believe that there's justified concern over his frame of mind as a cricketer. Why deliberately send your boat on ahead of you, knowing full well that your job is to be focused on the game regardless of the opposition?
I'm terribly sympathetic with Roy. I firmly believe that James Sutherland and Cricket Australia fell under some spell weaved by the lure of a current burst of economic prosperity in India. They were willing to cast aside a key player's pain, not to mention the testimony of senior contracted players, to appease a hot-headed and bullying BCCI. If CA don't recognise Roy's angst has been driven by its own greed and deal with him personally on it, I fear we may lose him altogether.
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