The trouble with Andrew Symonds

It is not about Roy being a larrikin or having individually. But this issue is about principle and setting standards and an example to the younger members of the Australian team. Otherwise everyone can be an individual and the team will not get results, which are wished and expected. In my view Australia does not have talented players, as the West Indian cricket team had in the early to mid 1980s, but are a professional and well drilled unite, who carry out their task in the most discipline and committed manner. This action of Symonds therefore will be jeopardising that position and set a very bad example. In my view Symonds should be not only reprimanded, but his contact with Cricket Australia should be terminated, unless he apologises and does agree to take relevant action not to repeat his very poor and indiscipline behaviour again. Yours Faithfully, Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam.

All -excellent article by Peter Lalor on foxsports today giving a bit of an insight into Roy's behaviour within the team. Cricket is a team game and he sounds like he has completely undermined his position within it. He is unlikely to be chosen to go to India and might as well pack his bags now and head to the IPL: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24333890-23212,00.html He is exactly the kind of cricketer that the ACB tries to make players into, and exactly the reason why I hate the current Australian cricket team so much. The ACB just gets scared when they try to create a monster and the monster gets out of control!

As has been reported Symonds is none to happy with his employer ACB over their support and advice to him in the Singh affair. Good work ACB lean on your own guy . For all his deficiencies one thing he was not known for was lying.As the ACB now admits they advised him Singh would still be dealt with he agreed to the lower charge. Some of this advice was it seems quite pointed . Symonds does not view the ACB with friendly eyes nor does he need them to play 20/20 in India. The ACB were interested in protecting their interests. Symonds can worry about his own. When the crunch comes he knows the ACB does not have much of a spine. I am sure he enjoyed his fishing and will play if he wants to.

Dear Sir / Madam, I apologise if I hurt Andrew Symonds or anyone else with my views, but I believe that if Symonds wishes to be viewed, and judged as a quality player, both in Test Match cricket, and in One Day cricket, he must ensure to allow his performances to do the taking, rather than create bad team sprit and attitude, especially in relation to the young and up coming players in the current Australian team. Yours Faithfully, Muralidaran Ramesh Somasunderam

For gawds sake! All the bloke did was go fishing with a mate. His team management KNEW weeks in advance that's what he was doing that day, that's why they only scheduled a voluntary training session. Then they suddenly decided to call a compulsory team meeting when he was ALREADY OUT FISHING. Use your brain people. The punishment was then wildly severe and calculated to get maximum public humiliation. Why?? They even had him ESCORTED out of the city by ACB officials!! WHY???? Is that even legal? But why do that anyway???? And then you have senior officials and Pup/Watson acting highly unprofessional by running off at the mouth to the media trashing Roy six ways from Sunday. WTF? This isnt about money, or Roy being 'selfish' or "a bad boy", or "arrogant" or "selfish". That's all ACB and media spin. This is about some very wierd hidden agendas and Roy ending up feeling betrayed and isolated. Ask yourself, what is REALLY GOING ON HERE? Does anything about Darwin really make sense???? (NO) Why did the ACB not only pull one of Roy's regular newspaper columns earlier this year, but then ban him from writing any more? They've gagged Roy several times in the past few months. He even had a dig at them about it at the Alan Border medal. What's with the censorship??? Of course Roy wanted/wants to be a part of the upcoming tours. He has them excitedly posted into his online diary ready to post up accounts while he was on tour. The bloke has a reputation for loving cricket and especially loving being on the Aussie team. If this has changed, it would take a hell of a lot for that to happen. My question is - WHAT did it take? Please don't just blindly join the howling pitchfork-wielding mob. Just think about all this a bit.

I disagree with what Symonds did but I think this letter pushed the boundary a bit too far with the statement "....rather than be a part of the build up to the 2009 Ashes series." Complete overkill

Why is everybody over reacting. He will be back in business.

Cricket Australia: "Andrew, we have a "Couple of Strikes and Your Out - this is Post Pre-school Potty Training Employment" policy. Let us have the forwarding address for your copy of the terminated contract, close the door as you leave - and mind the long queue of capable and keen young cricketers just outside there, who are prepared to sign, and observe, the conditions of contract that accompany the fame and extraordinary fortune awaiting them as Australian cricketers. You have made your decision and we have made ours." I'd like to see that! And a respectful note on the comparative averages - as good a cricketer as he is Andrew Symonds is a dispensable part of a very talented team whereas Ian Chappell strode as a colossus through his time, an outstanding competitor, an unrelenting opponent, a tough minded and disciplined individual, and a demanding leader. Like Douggie, he was a central, vital part of the success of the players around him. All the well rewarded players since Chappelli are indebted to him more than any other for the grand employment conditions they enjoy.

Spiro, Symonds may have started out promoted beyond his abilities as a test cricketer. But he eventually rose to the occasion. A test batting average of nearly 45 with 2 centuries & 9 half-centuries in 34 innings is nothing to sneer at. Also, virtually a wicket per test (23 in 22) at just over 36 is also very handy. I note that Symonds' batting average is superior to Ian Chappell's, a supposedly much better batsman. While handy medium pacer Doug Walters only managed 49 wickets in his 74 tests. Stats are deceiving, & both Chappell & Walters probably played in a stronger international era. Nevertheless, the point is, Symonds' stats are not to sneer at.

Spiro .....in a dogfight in a one day cricket game or a cricket test there is not a current player I would prefer to Symonds. I have watched Cameron White and saw him spin the ball.....once............he is pushed far beyond his abilities and like Hussey is part of a concerted Victorian push to get someone in the national starting team. White is not in the same class as Symonds. Like it or not Symonds is simply inspiring in the field and oddly enough has taken most of his wickets and runs when we are battling. In the field he is worth runs and in the modern game has been devastating at limiting runs, getting runouts and putting fieldsman under pressure. His behaviour deserves disciplinary measures but never question his fighting abilities. he is the best athlete in Australian cricket.White is a very good middle order batsman who can bowl limited leg spin. Hussey is better

Andrew Symonds is promoted beyond his abilities as a Test cricketer. I think this batting and a bit of bowling all-rounder role can be filled better by David Hussey. And if Symonds is not careful he'll pose his ODI place, too, to Cameron White whose bowling seems to have improved a bit. That leaves Twenty/20 cricket, mainly in India, for him to finish off his career.

I believe that Andrew Symonds has an identity problem, because he is a West Indian, who was born in Birmingham, England and migrated with his family to Australia early in his life. The problem with having this identity crisis does make Symonds to behave more “Australian” than most mainstreams Australians, especially with his indiscipline larrikin approach, and his brash attitude to other cultures. This is why he had problems in India, not because he had problems with certain players in the Indian national team, which most international players have with opposition players on a regular basis, due to the competitive nature of professional sport, which does include cricket. I am not character slanting Andrew Symonds, but after noticing him for a while, I have come to this view or opinion.

I think that Andrew now has his fat IPL contract so doesnt really care anymore. I would think that international retirement is now on the cards for Simmo. After all why flog yourself training and touring all year round when you can pick up a years salary in 6 weeks. You can then devote the rest of your time for fishing.

Jason, Roy Symonds seems to be one of those cranky old guys lacking tolerance in a team of younger players. It's also a sign he should consider retiring, before he's pushed. Maybe his enthusiasm is waning. Symonds started late, making his test debut at 29. He's 33 now, still has 2-3 good years left in him, if he so desires. But maybe that's the problem, a waning desire to compete at the top. Fishing looks good!