Counties Plan To Resist Symonds Return (29 Nov 1995)

Electronic Telegraph Wednesday 29 November 1995

Counties plan to resist Symonds return

By Charles Randall

RENEWED attempts are to be made by the counties - egged on by the players - to prevent Andrew Symonds, the dual-qualified Australian batsman, returning to Gloucestershire next summer.

Changes to the contract procedures are being proposed, though Alan Wheelhouse, chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board`s registration committee, doubts whether this "extremely complicated" legal issue can be resolved.

It is still likely that, unless Symonds is selected by Australia this winter, the Birmingham-born Queenslander will be able to sign another contract at Bristol, with substantially improved terms after his shining season last summer.

At the TCCB meeting on Dec 14 the counties will consider a proposal requiring all players to sign a declaration that they have no desire to play for any other country outside the European Union.

Wheelhouse, chairman of Nottinghamshire and a solicitor, said: "It will be interesting to see whether Symonds would be prepared to sign it. If he refuses, it would be within the powers of the registration committee, as I see it, to cancel his registration. If he does sign it, we would have to see what happens."

The problem appears to be that Symonds, 20 - who scored 1,346 championship runs at an average of 56.08 - has an inalienable legal right to play for, and presumably in, the country of his birth and Gloucestershire`s lawyers would want to protect the livelihood of the county`s most valuable newcomer. If he plays for Australia before his return, he would become `Australian` under International Cricket Council regulations and therefore an overseas player in England.

Philip August, Gloucestershire`s secretary, confirmed yesterday that the county would follow the legal advice they had received - that Symonds could stay.

He said: "We don`t see why we should refuse to have a quality player, who actually entertains and gets people into the grounds. I think most players accept that."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/et/)