MELBOURNE: Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds is being sent home from the Twenty20 World Cup in England for another off-field Symonds incident relating to alcohol.
Symonds has a history of off-field problems dating back to Australia's last tour to England in 2005, when he was banned for two matches after arriving drunk to a limited-overs international.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland confirmed Symonds' latest breach of the team rules was alcohol related and that his contract was subject to review.
"In isolation the breaches that I am talking about are not serious, but in the scheme of things, in the scheme of history, they are enough for it to be the final straw," Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne.
The latest incidents were not specified, with Sutherland not drawn on whether police were involved. It was reported Symonds attended a dinner at a Kensington hotel with the Australian squad on Wednesday night.
"In the last 24-48 hours he has broken a number of team rules," Sutherland said. "In the context of commitments Andrew has made to his teammates and to Cricket Australia in the last six months, it's the last straw. Unfortunately, it's a constant balancing act and it's just tipped too far today.
"Andrew is very disappointed and understandably upset. I'm disappointed in Andrew and I'm disappointed for Andrew. I'm quite sad about it."
Australia are due to play the West Indies on Saturday in their opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup.
The last time Australia lost a key player for a disciplinary issue on the eve of a major tournament, it was Symonds who came to the rescue.
He scored an unbeaten 143 from 125 balls against Pakistan in Australia's opening win at the 2003 World Cup, not long after star leg-spinner Shane Warne was suspended for a doping violation after testing positive to a diuretic.
It was Symonds' maiden ODI century after 55 matches and turned his international career.
An aggressive stroke player and renowned match winner, Symonds has been an integral part of Australia's limited-overs squad since 2003 and will be sorely missed in the World Twenty20. He has helped Australia win two World Cups in the 50-over format.
He averages almost 40 at an impressive strike rate of 92.44 in 198 limited-overs internationals and is ideally suited to the T20 format, where he averages 48.14 in 14 international matches.
Symonds played the last of his 26 Test matches in December, when he started treatment for an injured knee. He returned to the ODI squad in a series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last month. He also played an important role in Deccan Chargers' recent win in the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
Symonds will turn 34 next week and selectors national demonstrated some frustration with him last month when they omitted him from the squad for the five-Test Ashes series in England which follows the T20 World Cup.
Symonds was last month offered a Cricket Australia contract for the 2009-10 season, but Sutherland has told him "we would take that offer off the table at this stage and reconsider our position."
The past 18 months have been the most tumultuous of Symonds' career. In January 2008 he was at the center of the "monkeygate" scandal in the home series against India, when he accused Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh of making racist remarks to him.
Symonds was dissatisfied at Cricket Australia's response in the ensuing investigation. He missed the return tour to India after going fishing rather than attending a team meeting ahead of a limited-overs series against Bangladesh in September.
The big-hitting all-rounder was ordered to undergo counseling before being eligible for selection again, and won a recall for the series against New Zealand in November.
Symonds was only one Test into his comeback when he was subjected to an investigation following reports of a bar fight in Brisbane with a drunken fan. He was cleared of that charge but fined again in January for making derogatory comments about a New Zealand player in a radio interview, when he was allegedly drunk.
He has admitted to struggling with alcohol.
Source
Symonds has a history of off-field problems dating back to Australia's last tour to England in 2005, when he was banned for two matches after arriving drunk to a limited-overs international.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland confirmed Symonds' latest breach of the team rules was alcohol related and that his contract was subject to review.
"In isolation the breaches that I am talking about are not serious, but in the scheme of things, in the scheme of history, they are enough for it to be the final straw," Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne.
The latest incidents were not specified, with Sutherland not drawn on whether police were involved. It was reported Symonds attended a dinner at a Kensington hotel with the Australian squad on Wednesday night.
"In the last 24-48 hours he has broken a number of team rules," Sutherland said. "In the context of commitments Andrew has made to his teammates and to Cricket Australia in the last six months, it's the last straw. Unfortunately, it's a constant balancing act and it's just tipped too far today.
"Andrew is very disappointed and understandably upset. I'm disappointed in Andrew and I'm disappointed for Andrew. I'm quite sad about it."
Australia are due to play the West Indies on Saturday in their opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup.
The last time Australia lost a key player for a disciplinary issue on the eve of a major tournament, it was Symonds who came to the rescue.
He scored an unbeaten 143 from 125 balls against Pakistan in Australia's opening win at the 2003 World Cup, not long after star leg-spinner Shane Warne was suspended for a doping violation after testing positive to a diuretic.
It was Symonds' maiden ODI century after 55 matches and turned his international career.
An aggressive stroke player and renowned match winner, Symonds has been an integral part of Australia's limited-overs squad since 2003 and will be sorely missed in the World Twenty20. He has helped Australia win two World Cups in the 50-over format.
He averages almost 40 at an impressive strike rate of 92.44 in 198 limited-overs internationals and is ideally suited to the T20 format, where he averages 48.14 in 14 international matches.
Symonds played the last of his 26 Test matches in December, when he started treatment for an injured knee. He returned to the ODI squad in a series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last month. He also played an important role in Deccan Chargers' recent win in the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
Symonds will turn 34 next week and selectors national demonstrated some frustration with him last month when they omitted him from the squad for the five-Test Ashes series in England which follows the T20 World Cup.
Symonds was last month offered a Cricket Australia contract for the 2009-10 season, but Sutherland has told him "we would take that offer off the table at this stage and reconsider our position."
The past 18 months have been the most tumultuous of Symonds' career. In January 2008 he was at the center of the "monkeygate" scandal in the home series against India, when he accused Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh of making racist remarks to him.
Symonds was dissatisfied at Cricket Australia's response in the ensuing investigation. He missed the return tour to India after going fishing rather than attending a team meeting ahead of a limited-overs series against Bangladesh in September.
The big-hitting all-rounder was ordered to undergo counseling before being eligible for selection again, and won a recall for the series against New Zealand in November.
Symonds was only one Test into his comeback when he was subjected to an investigation following reports of a bar fight in Brisbane with a drunken fan. He was cleared of that charge but fined again in January for making derogatory comments about a New Zealand player in a radio interview, when he was allegedly drunk.
He has admitted to struggling with alcohol.
Source
