News

Symonds gagged by Cricket Australia

Andrew Symonds' latest column for News Limited, in which he has attacked Cricket Australia, was not approved by the board for publication

Cricinfo staff
10-Feb-2008

Andrew Symonds: "To be brutally honest, as players we just can't understand the stance they've [Cricket Australia] taken" © AFP
 
Andrew Symonds' latest column for News Limited papers, in which he has attacked Cricket Australia, was pulled after it was not approved by the board for publication. Symonds was instead interviewed by the Sunday Mail, where the column was to run, and he spoke of the frustrations of the players over CA's sponsorship restrictions for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which, he felt, could hamper their participation in the tournament.
"Right now a lot of the boys in the Australian side are excited about maybe taking part in the Indian Twenty20 series called the IPL in April," Symonds said. "But we can't quite work out what's going on with the chiefs at Cricket Australia, who seem to be trying to run interference by putting up a heap of red tape.
"To be brutally honest, as players we just can't understand the stance they've taken. We're all keen to have a hit if the tour of Pakistan gets called off, but Cricket Australia have played what looks like a bit of a trick shot."
Peter Young, the CA media director, said there were inaccuracies in Symonds' column and there would be a player briefing in the coming week. "Cricket Australia is working hard to ensure the IPL is a success and we are keen to see it go ahead with Australian player participation," he said. "That is subject to some complex issues still being negotiated with India which will be detailed to players next week."
The Australian body had earlier said it could veto its contracted players' participation in case of competing sponsorship issues. CA had expressed concerns over players endorsing products during the IPL that could clash with its own sponsors' interests. However, Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, warned the Australian players' participation would be at risk if CA didn't soften its stance.
Symonds said he couldn't get the logic behind CA's stance. "It's my understanding Cricket Australia are trying to say that Aussie players can't play for teams who are sponsored by competitors to Cricket Australia sponsors," Symonds said.
"The way I see it, Queensland are sponsored by XXXX and South Australia are sponsored by WestEnd - but Cricket Australia is sponsored by Foster's. So CA is trying to say that's a conflict of interest and because of that we can't play.
"The weird thing is for years the Pura Cup sponsors have always conflicted with CA sponsors. And it's the same for blokes like Warney [Shane Warne], Simon Katich and Justin Langer who play county cricket in England."
Symonds' comments come after Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, said interference on part of the board would be unfair. Like Symonds, Ponting too felt CA's stance on sponsor protection was odd since the IPL was a domestic tournament, similar to the county season in England.
The allrounder suggested that the tournament was being taken seriously by him and his team-mates. "This is a pretty big deal for us as players because the IPL looks like being a sensational tournament where the world's best cricketers get to have a crack at Twenty20," Symonds said. "As players, we can't work out whether CA are deliberately trying to be difficult or what the problem is.
"Hopefully common sense prevails and Cricket Australia don't try and stand in the way of what's an exciting opportunity and a great concept for cricket. In relation to the Pakistan tour, the Australian players just want to make sure that, if it's called off, then we can still play in the IPL. The players' association are working hard to try and clear the way so hopefully we can work something out."