RIP Andrew Symonds

Remove this Banner Ad

This has hit me harder than Warnie and Marsh combined
Roy was a funny sort of a cricketer to me. I don’t think he was as good a player as many in the media have made out: he had ok bowling numbers and a lot was made at the time of his dual skills but realistically he wasn’t an international class ‘bowler’ so much as he was an international class ‘option’ if that made sense: ‘we can get a few overs out of Roy’ and his talent was just enough at both seam and spin that he could slip in at one end, be tidy enough, pick up the odd wicket, and get out again without too much damage while the other guys had a spell.

With the bat obviously he had rare power but he wasn’t what I would call a ‘good/great’ batsman; rather he was a gifted batsman with a knack for a handful of great innings - like a poor man’s Kevin Pietersen who I would describe to anyone as a very good batsman who played a lot of very great innings’.

Obviously his fielding was next level.

But for all that - and I can promise that appraisal has no ‘anti Australian hose down the growing legend of Symonds’ about it - I just had a genuine love for the guy from probably 2007/8 onwards.

He had his issues, the fishing and Bangladesh ODI ‘scandals’ obviously but there was never any public outpouring of ‘hey everyone here’s my side of the story and how harshly I’ve been treated.’ He made it clear in interviews with Crash and other journos that he felt harshly treated internally but more or less he just got on with it and said ‘well I don’t agree with the fallout from these instances but I recognise I was in the wrong in the first place so I will cop that and just move on.’

This also became glaringly clear in the way he spoke about Harbhajan to Crash: he could have really made Singh look like an even bigger tool than he already does/did. He said ‘Singh called me out the back of this function and got quite upset and teary and said ‘I am so sorry for what I did and said and I hope you can forgive me.’ Symonds being the sort of Man he was accepted the apology but even more than that he said to crash how much it meant to him and that once the apology was offered he had no issue taking it.

Compare that to how Warnie carried on for years after the dropping in the West Indies.

Even his explanation of the falling out with Clarke highlighted what a genuinely nice and good hearted person Symmo was: ‘I played an equal part in it and it is something I’m really sad about’ or words to that effect.

He was self effacing, humble, funny, and watching that Craddock interview in particular two nights ago and knowing that he’s no longer with us, I just wanted to jump through the screen and give the bloke a handshake and a hug and tell him what a genuinely decent fellow he seemed.


The world has lost a gifted cricketer and one who created some awesome memories for fans. Moreover it has lost a really, really decent human being and it makes me very very sad.

Vale Roy
 
Watching everything just click for him after that 143 against Pakistan was one of the highlights of cricket in my teens/twenties.

Incredibly entertaining with the bat and an absolute freak in the field - if he'd been born 10 years later he'd be set for life on the T20 Circuit. Just glad we got to see him in an era when national duties still took priority.

For an administration with plenty of lowlights to go around, Cricket Australia's decision to throw him under the bus after Monkeygate is still one of the lowest.

corbies said:
Gilchrist and Symonds batted together 10 times in ODI cricket and 3 of those were century partnerships. Given 2 of them happened in 1999 in Galle and Colombo I'm assuming the one you remember is from this one in Perth:

www.espncricinfo.com

AUS vs IND Cricket Scorecard, 11th Match at Perth, February 01, 2004

Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Australia vs India 11th Match, cricket scorecard, VB Series 2003/04 dated February 01, 2004.
www.espncricinfo.com www.espncricinfo.com
Click to expand...

He put a six onto the roof of the player's pavilion that game IIRC. Seeing him and Gilly get stuck into Pathan (who'd had the wood over us for much of the summer) was particularly cathartic.

Was also Katich's first international appearance in Perth after taking the Steve Waugh godfather offer and moving to NSW - he got a fairly hostile reception but Gilly (to his credit) stuck up for him and gave it back to the crowd.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Surprising then that he only played 26 tests.
Click to expand...

Only reason its only 26 Tests is because he couldn't behave, he played his last Test at 32 and Australia sucked at the time, should have been a senior player for at least 4 years, thats another 40 Tests give or take.

Marcus North and Andrew McDonald took his spot, Andrew was better then both.
 
Last edited:
Looking back remember Symonds in test team being considered Ponting's equal in the field. Amazing as Pointing is probably best fielder all time
 
Real kick in the guts these guys dying. The way symonds and warnie commentated normal blokes could relate to rather than some other commentators. Symonds along with warne I could never picture as old men I always thought what warne would look like when he was 70 or 80 and I couldn't picture it
 
brenna21 said:
Real kick in the guts these guys dying. The way symonds and warnie commentated normal blokes could relate to rather than some other commentators. Symonds along with warne I could never picture as old men I always thought what warne would look like when he was 70 or 80 and I couldn't picture it
Click to expand...

Warne at 70 wouldve been on third face lift
 
PhatBoy said:
This has hit me harder than Warnie and Marsh combined
Roy was a funny sort of a cricketer to me. I don’t think he was as good a player as many in the media have made out: he had ok bowling numbers and a lot was made at the time of his dual skills but realistically he wasn’t an international class ‘bowler’ so much as he was an international class ‘option’ if that made sense: ‘we can get a few overs out of Roy’ and his talent was just enough at both seam and spin that he could slip in at one end, be tidy enough, pick up the odd wicket, and get out again without too much damage while the other guys had a spell.

With the bat obviously he had rare power but he wasn’t what I would call a ‘good/great’ batsman; rather he was a gifted batsman with a knack for a handful of great innings - like a poor man’s Kevin Pietersen who I would describe to anyone as a very good batsman who played a lot of very great innings’.

Obviously his fielding was next level.

But for all that - and I can promise that appraisal has no ‘anti Australian hose down the growing legend of Symonds’ about it - I just had a genuine love for the guy from probably 2007/8 onwards.

He had his issues, the fishing and Bangladesh ODI ‘scandals’ obviously but there was never any public outpouring of ‘hey everyone here’s my side of the story and how harshly I’ve been treated.’ He made it clear in interviews with Crash and other journos that he felt harshly treated internally but more or less he just got on with it and said ‘well I don’t agree with the fallout from these instances but I recognise I was in the wrong in the first place so I will cop that and just move on.’

This also became glaringly clear in the way he spoke about Harbhajan to Crash: he could have really made Singh look like an even bigger tool than he already does/did. He said ‘Singh called me out the back of this function and got quite upset and teary and said ‘I am so sorry for what I did and said and I hope you can forgive me.’ Symonds being the sort of Man he was accepted the apology but even more than that he said to crash how much it meant to him and that once the apology was offered he had no issue taking it.

Compare that to how Warnie carried on for years after the dropping in the West Indies.

Even his explanation of the falling out with Clarke highlighted what a genuinely nice and good hearted person Symmo was: ‘I played an equal part in it and it is something I’m really sad about’ or words to that effect.

He was self effacing, humble, funny, and watching that Craddock interview in particular two nights ago and knowing that he’s no longer with us, I just wanted to jump through the screen and give the bloke a handshake and a hug and tell him what a genuinely decent fellow he seemed.


The world has lost a gifted cricketer and one who created some awesome memories for fans. Moreover it has lost a really, really decent human being and it makes me very very sad.

Vale Roy
Click to expand...
Rather spot on. Roy was an all rounder and fielding was his specialty. For me it was his commentary that has really stood out. Now days the commentary box is full with eagos and of trying to hard to be funny and impress. Roy was just Roy casual as they came and always just gave an honest insiteful opinion
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

PhatBoy said:
This has hit me harder than Warnie and Marsh combined
Roy was a funny sort of a cricketer to me. I don’t think he was as good a player as many in the media have made out: he had ok bowling numbers and a lot was made at the time of his dual skills but realistically he wasn’t an international class ‘bowler’ so much as he was an international class ‘option’ if that made sense: ‘we can get a few overs out of Roy’ and his talent was just enough at both seam and spin that he could slip in at one end, be tidy enough, pick up the odd wicket, and get out again without too much damage while the other guys had a spell.

With the bat obviously he had rare power but he wasn’t what I would call a ‘good/great’ batsman; rather he was a gifted batsman with a knack for a handful of great innings - like a poor man’s Kevin Pietersen who I would describe to anyone as a very good batsman who played a lot of very great innings’.

Obviously his fielding was next level.

But for all that - and I can promise that appraisal has no ‘anti Australian hose down the growing legend of Symonds’ about it - I just had a genuine love for the guy from probably 2007/8 onwards.

He had his issues, the fishing and Bangladesh ODI ‘scandals’ obviously but there was never any public outpouring of ‘hey everyone here’s my side of the story and how harshly I’ve been treated.’ He made it clear in interviews with Crash and other journos that he felt harshly treated internally but more or less he just got on with it and said ‘well I don’t agree with the fallout from these instances but I recognise I was in the wrong in the first place so I will cop that and just move on.’

This also became glaringly clear in the way he spoke about Harbhajan to Crash: he could have really made Singh look like an even bigger tool than he already does/did. He said ‘Singh called me out the back of this function and got quite upset and teary and said ‘I am so sorry for what I did and said and I hope you can forgive me.’ Symonds being the sort of Man he was accepted the apology but even more than that he said to crash how much it meant to him and that once the apology was offered he had no issue taking it.

Compare that to how Warnie carried on for years after the dropping in the West Indies.

Even his explanation of the falling out with Clarke highlighted what a genuinely nice and good hearted person Symmo was: ‘I played an equal part in it and it is something I’m really sad about’ or words to that effect.

He was self effacing, humble, funny, and watching that Craddock interview in particular two nights ago and knowing that he’s no longer with us, I just wanted to jump through the screen and give the bloke a handshake and a hug and tell him what a genuinely decent fellow he seemed.


The world has lost a gifted cricketer and one who created some awesome memories for fans. Moreover it has lost a really, really decent human being and it makes me very very sad.
O
Vale Roy
Click to expand...

Wrong. Odi average of 39 & strike rate of 92 is among the best records for this country.
 
Pippen94 said:
Wrong. Odi average of 39 & strike rate of 92 is among the best records for this country.
Click to expand...


Where did I say it isn’t?
He was not out 33 times in 160 innings.

For context Ponting was not out 39 times with 200 more innings played.

It’s not someone saying he was a moderate cricketer he was clearly very good. But he was a few ratings behind the absolute best as a batsman and bowler at least
 
PhatBoy said:
Where did I say it isn’t?
He was not out 33 times in 160 innings.

For context Ponting was not out 39 times with 200 more innings played.

It’s not someone saying he was a moderate cricketer he was clearly very good. But he was a few ratings behind the absolute best as a batsman and bowler at least
Click to expand...
Shane Watson was basically Symonds without the flair.
 
PhatBoy said:
Where did I say it isn’t?
He was not out 33 times in 160 innings.

For context Ponting was not out 39 times with 200 more innings played.

It’s not someone saying he was a moderate cricketer he was clearly very good. But he was a few ratings behind the absolute best as a batsman and bowler at least
Click to expand...

Are you really pulling not out card?! Means Symonds average should actually be higher, particularly a lot of the time he came in right at the end & was expected to go big.

Statistically one of Australia's great odi batsmen.
 
Pippen94 said:
Are you really pulling not out card?! Means Symonds average should actually be higher, particularly a lot of the time he came in right at the end & was expected to go big.

Statistically one of Australia's great odi batsmen.
Click to expand...


No it doesn’t, it means if he made 20 more runs in all those innings’ and got dismissed his average would drop.

It’s not a card mate, it’s a fact. His average is helped by not outs.

Saying he COULD have made more runs in all those innings is true. But it’s only a hypothetical.

What DID happen is that his total runs is divided by less than what most of the generally considered ‘great’ odi batsmen have their averages divided by.

It’s not a knock on him it’s just a fact.
 
PhatBoy said:
No it doesn’t, it means if he made 20 more runs in all those innings’ and got dismissed his average would drop.

It’s not a card mate, it’s a fact. His average is helped by not outs.

Saying he COULD have made more runs in all those innings is true. But it’s only a hypothetical.

What DID happen is that his total runs is divided by less than what most of the generally considered ‘great’ odi batsmen have their averages divided by.

It’s not a knock on him it’s just a fact.
Click to expand...

You need to go back to basics. Not outs mean innings cut short. Ponting batting at top had more time to build innings & really get going when he had his eye in. Symonds would've made bigger scores & did when given the chance.
 
Around the Wicket said:
Only reason its only 26 Tests is because he couldn't behave, he played his last Test at 32 and Australia sucked at the time, should have been a senior player for at least 4 years, thats another 40 Tests give or take.

Marcus North and Andrew McDonald took his spot, Andrew was better then both.
Click to expand...
He struggled in tests early and was only seen as an ODI player originally. He finally got some form in the long form of the game and then acted up.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

RIP Andrew Symonds

Similar threads

Gough
RIP Ian Redpath
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
geoffjennings79
geoffjennings79

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top