Miscellaneous

Symonds Turns His Back On Australia (19 Apr 1996)

ANDREW SYMONDS signed a three-year contract with Gloucestershire yesterday, taking the heat out of the debate surrounding his England eligibility

19 April 1996

Loading ...

Symonds turns his back on Australia

By Charles Randall

ANDREW SYMONDS signed a three-year contract with Gloucestershire yesterday, taking the heat out of the debate surrounding his England eligibility.

The six-hitting Queenslander took steps to satisfy his fellow players on the county circuit that his future lay in England. He convinced Gloucestershire on the telephone before his arrival, but faces a fight to win over Ray Illingworth and his England selectors.

Illingworth said last summer there would be "no second chances" when Symonds declined to tour with the England A side in Pakistan at a time when he hoped for Australian selection.

Symonds, 20, will soon be presented with a new Test and County Cricket Board declaration, which all county players must sign, acknowledging their availability for England.

The dual-qualified Symonds appeared to have made up his mind on arriving at Heathrow yesterday.

Philip August, Gloucestershire`s secretary, said the county had insisted he must abide by the spirit of the agreement and he hoped the "hounding" of Symonds would stop. "He`s clear in his understanding he is available for England," August said.

Events probably helped Symonds`s decision, because he had a poor domestic season in Australia this winter and failed to make their World Cup squad.

Symonds has built a much better reputation as a batsman in England than in his home country, especially after hoisting his world record 20 sixes in a match for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan at Abergavenny last summer.

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