Andrew Symonds has often appeared to be a cricketer of the modern times. A fearless hitter, a neat medium-pacer and prone to off-field trouble, he was made for Twenty20 but also for the wrong kind of media headlines. He was born in Birmingham but his penchant for binge drinking was more in keeping with the discredited Aussie tradition perpetrated by the likes of David Boon and Merv Hughes.
ALthough his adoptive parents had moved with baby Andrew to Australia, it was with Gloucestershire that a teenage Symonds first came to sporting prominence. Indeed, after a prolific season with the bat, he was named England's Young Cricketer of the Year. However, he was already on record as saying he wanted to play for Australia rather than the country of his birth and consequently declined to join the A tour of Pakistan. The decision was then made and set the scene for a colourful but complex career Down Under.
He didn't make his international debut until the age of 23, after which his development in county cricket was hampered by the overseas player restrictions. Never mind. He was to play 198 ODIs and 26 Tests for his adoptive nation. The debut against Pakistan wasn't memorable in playing terms. He bowled only two overs then centuries by Gilchrist and Ponting meant he didn't get a bat. He made a run-a-ball 68 the following summer but didn't reach three figures until 2003, again versus Pakistan. He made a disastrous start to Test cricket in Sri Lanka in 2004, with a fifteen-ball duck, one of Mural's many victims. He followed that with a brisk 24 in the second innings as Ponting looked to make the declaration that was to set up a win.
He did make some great scores in all forms of cricket for Australia and Queensland over the years but he wil best be remembered on the field for his 254 not out against Glamorgan in 1995, an innnigs featuring a then record of 16 sixes. Nine years later, he blasted 112 in only 43 balls for Kent against Middlesex in a T20 match. When the IPL came a-calling, he could command million-dollar auction bids and he didn't disappoint. His impressive T20 career strike rate of 147 proved what a useful batsman he was in the biff-bang stuff, even if his bowling was less suited to it.
Unfortunately his international appearances were limited not only to the strength in depth of Aussie cricket in the past 15 years or so, but also occasional injury and off-field trouble, often his own doing. Traditional Aussie antipathy to establishment and rules never improves a player's standing with selectors, but calling an opponent a 'lump of shit' on the radio, turning up to a match drunk and going fishing instead of attending a team meeting do not make for career advancement! Neither did his spat with Harbajhan Singh in the 'Monkeygate' controversy, although for once that probably wasn't his own fault.
Andrew Symonds retired suddenly this week, seeing impending fatherhood as the trigger to put down his big bat for the last time and concentrate on family life. Many Aussie cricketing superstars are remembered for their appearance on the pitch: Lillee's moustache and sweatband, Hughes' 'Zapata' moustache alone (!), Warne's blonde quiff, etc, and 'Roy' had his trademark dreadlocks (until 2009, anyway) and sunblock around his mouth which likened him to an extra from an Al Jolson musical.
His decision to call an end to his cricketing career is probably well timed, and not just because his partner is expecting a baby. Eking out time with lucrative cameos in the Big Bash or IPL doesn't make for great memories. Symonds wasn't just a six-hitter extraordinaire; he compiled almost 28,000 runs and claimed almost 600 wickets in all forms of cricket, and was also an exciting fielder in his day. His international achievements should be seen alongside some great performances in the county games and don't forget his 5000 runs for Queensland.
Lay off the booze, 'Roy', and enjoy your life. Learn from your mistakes and look back on an excellent career as an on-field entertainer, whether as Australian or Englishman.
