Name:

Symonds, Andrew

Nickname:

Roy

Date of Birth:

09 Jun 1975

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Birmingham, UK

Date Died:

15 May 2022

Career:

Test: 2004 - 2008
ODI: 1998 - 2009
T20: 2005 - 2009

Teams:

QLD (Regional)
Gloucestershire (Regional)
Australia (Country)

Monkey Sledge - Stump Audio & Reaction to racism charge being dropped

Andrew Symonds: Gifted all-rounder throws it away with drink

Andrew Symonds was born in Birmingham, UK but was adopted and grew up in Queensland, Australia.

He was a powerful right handed batsman. Standing a muscular 6ft 2in tall and sporting shoulder-length dreadlocks, he looked and made for an intimidating opponent. A superb, athletic fielder, who also bowled useful off-spin and medium-pace.

He had made his debut with Queensland in 1994, and played 18 seasons with them. In England, he initially played for Gloucestershire but went on to play for Kent and Lancashire.

Symonds hit a double century for Gloucestershire in 1995 that included 16 sixes, a first-class record until broken by the new England captain Ben Stokes 27 years later. He also struck a rapid hundred from 34 balls, which he hit for Kent in a T20 match in 2004 and which remained a record until broken by Chris Gayle in 2013.

He had a drink problem; showing up to training sessions still drunk from the night before, missing team buses and arrived for a game between Australia and Bangladesh in 2005 barely able to stand up. After a decade of such incidents, Symonds’ international cricket career ended when he was sent home from the 2009 T20 World Cup.

Symonds felt that the problem had spiralled out of control after a controversy when he accused India’s Harbhajan Singh of racially abusing him during his innings of 162 not out in the Sydney Test in 2008.

Symonds played 198 one-day internationals for Australia, as well as 26 Tests and 14 Twenty20 internationals.

The all-rounder amassed 5088 runs at ODI level at an average of 39.75, also taking 133 wickets.

The Queenslander was a key member of the Aussie teams that won back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007. He finished his twin World Cup campaigns with two winners' medals, an average of 103, a strike rate of 93.29 and the adulation of fans around the world.

At Test level he scored 1462 runs at 40.61, taking 24 wickets.

In 2012, aged 37, Symonds retired from all cricket and turned to TV, where he found a niche commentating.

Symonds was involved in a car accident and died on 15 May 2022. 

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter