Symo shocks again

Andrew Symonds, that man with an infinite capacity for mischief, is at it again.

Symo shocks again

Just as he prepares to resume his career after knee surgery last New Year's eve, Symonds could be censured by Cricket Australia (CA) for calling New Zealand wicketkeeper-all-rounder Brendon McCullum "a lump of s..." on a live radio chat show last Friday night.

In what has been described as Symonds' "six minutes of madness", the two radio hosts of the show were said to have been giggling as the all-rounder of West Indian origin "slurred and babbled on" about McCullum and, at one stage, about Matthew Hayden's wife.

Hayden is known to be Symonds' close hunting and fishing mate.

The previous day Symonds launched a stinging attack against the New South Wales (NSW) state association for signing McCullum, allegedly with one eye on the (Indian) Champions League, at the expense of a local player for last night's Twenty20 final against Victoria.

Australia cricketer Andrew Symonds
War of words

It set off a bitter of words, with Symonds said signing the Kiwi in preference to a local player was against the Australian spirit.

"That's not Australian to me," Symonds said.

"Is that what Australian or NSW cricket is trying to do? I'm trying to understand the modern world."

NSW chief executive Dave Gilbert, the former pace bowler, fired back at Symonds that his team were within their rights to sign on McCullum and that, on his part, the Australian all-rounder was happy to bank $1.5 million for playing for Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

Hypocrite

"I think it's a little hypocritical of Andrew Symonds. After all, he's happy to sign with the Deccan Chargers and deprive some local of a spot in their side.

"If this final was in isolation, we wouldn't have brought McCullum over, but the (Indian) Champions League has put everything into a different stratosphere. There's so much at stake, roughly $4 million for the winner."

Asked later on the radio show about Hayden's famous cooking abilities, Symonds replied that he takes a "side glance at Hayden's wife" as "it helps the meal to go down amply well."

Symonds made his return to local cricket yesterday (he was dismissed for seven) after knee surgery, even as Cricket Australia was investigating the latest snafu.

Past history

It comes on the heels of Symonds' infamous run-in with Harbhajan Singh last year, turning up for a net session in inebriated state after a night of heavy drinking on the '05 Ashes tour of England, his drunken brawl with fans in Melbourne, missing the team bus during the tour of the West indies and the 'gone fishing' incident in Darwin last August when he was sent home for missing a team meeting.

The result of the CA investigation will be known only after the Australia Day (Jan 26) ODI between Australia and South Africa in Adelaide.

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