Until Friday night last week, Andrew Symonds was experiencing intimations of cricketing mortality.
Until Friday night last week, Andrew Symonds was experiencing intimations of cricketing mortality.
It has taken just one reassuring match-winning knock of 58 from 62 balls (after two wickets had fallen in three balls to spinners Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal) on the back of taking two wickets in as many balls against Pakistan at Dubai on Friday night, to set his career back on course
He is now determined to make up for lost time during his sentence in purgatory and help Australia regain its pre-eminence in the one-day game, after falling to No 3 in the ICC one-day rankings behind South Africa and India.
Symonds admits he went into Friday's ODI match counting down the matches in his international career.
He told the media he felt a huge weight on his shoulders because his career could have been torpedoed had he failed in the remaining four matches of the series after managing to score just two against the bewildering spin of Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal.
"In the first game I got out and I thought 'Gee, there's one down, I've got possibly five to go'".
Australia have won just six, including Friday night's six-wicket win, in 16 completed matches.
"When the team was losing, it's very frustrating to sit and watch, you feel very helpless," man of the match Symomds said.
Friday's was just his second ODI in almost nine months after being twice stood down because of disciplinary reasons (when he underwent counselling) and following knee surgery.
Acting captain Michael Clarke said having Symonds back in form was a "major boost" for Australia's prospects in this series and the Ashes.
"Without a doubt Symonds in form is brilliant in any team.
"Obviously his batting's a given. When he's scoring runs he's brilliant to have because he can win a game, no matter what the form of the game, on his own," Clarke said.
"His fielding and bowling speaks for itself as well."
Australia play Pakistan in the third of the five-match series tonight in Abu Dhabi with the scores level, 1-1.
