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The only bulls Andrew Symonds will be near this season will be the ones he brings to his north Queensland farm after pulling the pin on his Twenty20 Big Bash commitments.
In a move that appears to have signalled the end of his playing days in Australia, the ex-Test allrounder told Queensland Cricket that he would be hitting the land rather than sixes for the Bulls this season.
“Andrew is living in north Queensland and is in the process of purchasing a farm,” Queensland Cricket CEO Graham Dixon said on Friday.
“He was pretty upfront with us that he was moving in a direction that didn’t involve playing cricket again for Queensland.
“We told him that he goes into this phase of his life with our blessings and best wishes.”
It seems the only chance for Australians to see Symonds play again is if he turns out for next season’s new eight-franchise Big Bash league.
Symonds, 35, played six Big Bash games for the Bulls in 2009-2010 while also turning out for Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League and Surrey in the English T20 series.
Dixon said the Bulls would welcome back Symonds with open arms if he had a change of heart.
“He doesn’t owe Queensland Cricket anything and we have been privileged to enjoy the benefit of his skills and his passion for Queensland during his career,” Dixon said.
“Our door is always open to him and I am sure he will continue to keep close ties with us.”
Symonds’ departure robs new Queensland Twenty20 coach Darren Lehmann a chance to link up again with his former Australian teammate.
Lehmann had also coached Symonds at the Chargers in India.
In his 17-year Queensland career, Symonds played 102 first class games, 85 one-day games and six T20 matches.
The sometimes controversial allrounder’s international career included 26 Tests, 198 ODIs and 14 T20s.
Lehmann will be in Brisbane early next week to meet with Bulls captain James Hopes and the Queensland selection panel to finalise the squad for the T20 series.
Queensland open their Big Bash account against Victoria at the MCG on January 2.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s T20 overseas player Michael Lumb will arrive in Brisbane on Saturday night.
The English batsman will travel to Melbourne on Sunday with the rest of the Queensland Academy of Sport squad to contest the Futures League T20 tournament from Monday ahead of the Big Bash.
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