Top five controversies of Andrew Symonds’ career

Former Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds died due to a car crash earlier today, Sunday. He was just 46 years old at the time of the tragedy. During his playing career, he was regarded as one of the best in the game. However, his career had ended prematurely due to his off-field controversies.

In this listicle, we will discuss the five controversies which had an impact on Symonds’ career. These controversies not just impacted his career but also his personal relations, especially with Michael Clarke.

Top five controversies of Andrew Symonds

1. The infamous Monkeygate Saga in 2008

This incident happened between former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh and Symonds during India’s tour of Australia in 2008. During the second Test in Sydney, the duo exchanged some words which turned into a racism issue. Symonds had alleged that Singh had called him monkey. The off-spinner was banned for a few games. However, the decision was changed after BCCI threatened to pull out of the tour. This incident created a gap between the Cricket Australia and him.

2. Friend Michael Clarke turning foe

Both players used to be friends when Clarke started playing for Australia. However, this friendship spoiled after the Indian T20 League 2008 auction. According to an interview given by the deceased recently, both players’ relationship took a dip after Symonds was bought for a hefty price in Indian T20 League. For the unversed, Symonds was picked by now defunct-Hyderabad while the latter went unsold. Symonds cited this reason for the strained relationship between the two. The comments made by Symonds were shocking, to say the least.

3. Dropped from the team due to alcohol issues

It was a hard thing for a skipper to drop a player of Symonds’ caliber from a playing XI. However, given his off the field behavior, the batter was dropped from what turned out to be the historic ODI against Bangladesh, which the team lost in 2005. He was dropped after he turned up drunk in the evening ahead of the game.

4. Beats up a fan in a pub

Symonds was a humble guy. However, an incident tarnished his image among his fans. in 2008, a fan had showed up in a pub where the two-time World Cup winner was present. The fan approached Symonds for a picture which he got. However, things went awry went the fan tried to hug the former player. The fan was beaten by the player which created a huge controversy.

5. Fishing during team meeting

During the tour of Bangladesh in 2008, Symonds went on fishing while skipping a team meeting. Michael Clarke was infuriated by the behavior and went on to drop the player from the India tour, which followed later.