28 January,2009 01:38 PM IST | | PTI
Andrew Symonds' career may be saved despite a chequered disciplinary record as his psychologist Deidre Anderson has prepared a favourable report on the troubled all-rounder's mental state.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Anderson will tell Cricket Australia that "Symonds is unlikely to be a disruption to the Australian team should he be selected."
Symonds is facing a CA hearing tomorrow for calling New Zealand player Brendon McCullum "a lump of s---" during an alcohol-fuelled radio interview.
But Anderson feels Symonds, despite all his disciplinary problems, remains fit to play for Australia.
"If he gets through this and (CA) back him, I think we are going to see two to three years of outstanding performances from a good cricketer and a good man. I think he is as ready as any other player in the team," Anderson said.
"If you dig deep enough we all have things to work through and this is his. We all have triggers that make us do things that in retrospect we would prefer not to have done ... alcohol may be a part of it but it's a case of assessing the person you are and the person you would like to be," he added.
Anderson said Symonds' actions need to be seen in context.
"Unfortunately, this mishap has come up, there is a lot of context to it and I hope a little bit of common sense prevails. I am just really proud of how well he is going, other than this slip-up I'm really pleased with the way things have progressed," he said.
Meanwhile, Symonds is likely to escape suspension and only be fined for his radio rant against McCullum as Cricket Australia will treat him as a first-time offender in the hearing tomorrow.
"Andrew Symonds has never been reported for a breach of the Code of Behaviour ... this will be treated as a stand-alone incident," CA spokesman Peter Young was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
According to the newspaper, Symonds would be asked to pay a maximum of $5,750 as fine for his indiscretion.
Symonds has been involved in various alcohol-related misdemeanours in the past, including turning up drunk for a one-dayer during the 2005 Ashes. Before the radio diatribe against McCullum, Symonds had been sent to rehab in the aftermath of the infamous "gone fishing" affair.
But all these matters were dealt with by the team management and a formal process under the Code of Conduct has been initiated for the first time. Code of Conduct commissioner Gordon Lewis will oversee the proceedings in the closed-door hearing tomorrow.
