Grateful Symonds savours return to T20 squad

His jeopardised career receiving a fresh lease of life, embattled all-rounder Andrew Symonds today thanked his cricket board for drafting him in Australia's 30-member preliminary squad for June's ICC Twenty20 World Championship in England.

Grateful Symonds savours return to T20 squad

Symonds said he was appreciative of the support shown to him by Cricket Australia and was looking forward to get back to some action.

"I'm grateful that I've got the chance to get back to playing for Australia again," he said in a statement. "Hopefully the boys go well in South Africa tonight and for the rest of the series because I'd love to be back in the rooms with them again sometime down the track," he added.

Symonds' career of late has been blighted by injuries, poor form and alcohol-related problems. The burly all-rounder will travel to South Africa next week to join his Deccan Chargers teammates in the second edition of the Indian Premier League later this month.

Symonds' Queensland teammate Shane Watson was also pleased to be included in the Australian squad after injury wrecked his international prospects. Watson, who will continue his comeback from a back stress fracture with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, said he was happy with his progress.

"I've been doing some light bowling for the past week in Brisbane under the direction of the Centre of Excellence and I'm pretty happy with how I'm going so far," he said.

"We've made some minor technical adjustments to my bowling action and I'll be looking to gradually build up my workload over the next six or seven weeks.

"I'll have a much better idea during that period as to when I can bowl again in a match but I'm certainly looking forward to getting into a regular playing routine with Rajasthan in the IPL," the all-rounder said.

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