Symonds contract withdrawn by Cricket Australia Board

Andrew Symonds` international career appears to be over after Cricket Australia withdrew its offer of a national contract.

The all-rounder has been replaced by South Australian bowler Shaun Tait on the 25-man CA player list for the 2009-10 seasons.

"Cricket Australia has advised Andrew Symonds that his contract offer for the next contract year (starting July 1) has been withdrawn," CA chief operations manager Michael Brown said.

"Selectors have convened and have added (fast bowler) Shaun Tait to the contract list for the coming year."

Brown said Symonds would still be clear to play in Australia and he hoped the big-hitting all-rounder would continue to play for his state Queensland in the domestic competition.

Symonds was sent home before the start of the ICC World Twenty20 for an alcohol-related offence and, according to CA chief executive James Sutherland, it was the 'final straw' after a long and chequered track record off the field.

The first time Symonds was in trouble was four years ago, when he was excluded from the Australian team for a one-day international against Bangladesh in Cardiff after arriving for the match drunk. Australia went on to suffer a shock defeat in the match.

He was then embroiled in the ugly racism row that marred India-Australia relations in the controversy ridden tour in 2008, but he bounced back to make a regular place for himself in both Test matches and ODIs. However, he was back to his wayward behavior when just over nine months ago when he was sent home from Darwin for going fishing instead of attending a team meeting.

After missing the October tour of India, Symonds was recalled for the Test series against New Zealand but again found himself in hot water following a radio interview in which he alleged that Brendon McCullum was "a piece of sh*t", and an altercation with a fan at a Brisbane.

Symonds then missed the latter stages of the Australian summer with a knee injury that required surgery, with Cricket Australia disciplining him for his remarks on McCullum.

Ruled ineligible for selection following that incident in a radio interview, Symonds was not part of the tour to South Africa in February and March but was reinstated in April and offered a new CA contract.

Even as recently as the IPL finals, Symonds had displayed his boorish side, constantly sledging the teenaged Bangalore batsman Manish Pandey.

Overlooked for Ashes selection last month, Symonds was nonetheless included in the ICC World Twenty20 squad but his latest infraction now looks to have brought an end to a controversial international career.

Shaun Tait now has the opportunity to cement himself in the Australian team after being left off the original CA contract offer list.

The paceman injured his hamstring earlier this year but was working to get fit in time to play for the Rajasthan Royals in this year's IPL.

However, CA forbade him from traveling to South Africa for the tournament before he was then left out of the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 and denied a contract offer.

"When you think you are ready to go and play and obviously Cricket Australia had it in their mind, they thought they had it in their mind, they wanted me for future tournaments that was fair enough," Tait said last month.

"But to not let you go, not pick you in a squad and then not give you a contract is a little bit of a kick in the teeth.

"That's the other disappointing thing. I could've gone over and trained with them (Rajasthan) and been around the lads, mingled with 'Warnie' (Shane Warne), he's a great mentor, that would've been good."

But Tait is now back in favor with CA and national selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch expects big things from the quick.

"Shaun at his best is an important part of our one-day international and Twenty20 make-up and I'm sure he will now seize the opportunity presented to him with this offer of a further Australian contract."

Sehwag ruled Out from T20, Karthik is replacement

Vice captain Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the ICC World T20 and will return to India for a shoulder injury immediately.
He will be replaced by Dinesh Karthik who had a very good season in the IPL for the Delhi Daredevils.
Sehwag had been on the sidelines ever since the team arrived in England and missed both of India's first two warm-up matches as well as the first game against bangaldesh.
In his absence Rohit Sharma has been opening the innings and has enjoyed a fair bit of success. Sehwag did bat in the nets on Tuesday but ended the session abruptly after feeling uncomfortable.
The decision to send Karthik will come in handy as he can bat both as an opener as well as in the middle order.
Karthik will also be the reserve wicket-keeper. There isn't one available at the moment and there are reports that MS Dhoni's back is giving him trouble and a second keeper would come in handy.

Teammates optimistic of Symonds' return

His ouster from the Twenty20 World Cup squad notwithstanding, Andrew Symonds continues to enjoy the backing of his teammates, who are convinced that the temperamental all-rounder would return to the Australian squad again.
Speedster Brett Lee described Symonds as "world's greatest guy" and was optimistic of his return to the national team.
"To lose a player of his caliber leaves a big hole in the team but hopefully he will be back shortly," said Lee.
"I'm disappointed he's flying home. As his teammates we will be trying our hardest to make sure he gets back in the Australian cricket team at some stage," he was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
"What's happened with Andrew is a very personal blow to him but as mates we'll be sticking by him and making sure we give him our best advice and the help he needs," the 32-year-old pacer added.
Lee conceded Symonds would be missed in the Twenty20 World Cup but he urged teammates to lift themselves and focus on the job ahead.
"We have to move on. As his teammates we are disappointed that Andrew is going home but we will try to find a way to fill that gap.
"He's a world-class player and to leave a gap like that is not great for the Australian team but we always find a way to fill a void," he said. Fellow pacer Nathan Bracken said he too was sorry to see Symonds leave in such a fashion.
"He's a tremendous talent, he fits in and gets on well with the boys and to say it is the end of his career is a big call," said Bracken.
"He's got the talent and the ability at this level, we all enjoy him being around and enjoy watching him play cricket so hopefully he'll be back shortly.
"When you play professional sport you have very little margin for error and for him it's been tough - to be sent home from a tour is hard so every guy in a way will feel sorry for him," said the left-arm pacer.
An equally sad Mike Hussey said other players need to put behind the episode and concentrate on the job at hand.
"We've got to concentrate on our preparations and make sure we are 100 per cent ready for the West Indies on Saturday. We can't afford to let it affect our preparations," he said.
"I feel bad for the guy, I really hope he can get any issues sorted out and I hope he can still play cricket for Australia because he's shown over a long period of time how good a player he is," he said.

Symonds let Australia down: Ponting

Australia captain Ricky Ponting says all-rounder Andrew Symonds let himself and the team down with his latest off-field troubles.
Symonds was sent home from the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday for what Cricket Australia described as an alcohol-related breach of team rules and other violations.
Ponting declined to give specifics of Symonds' behavior, but said the player broke a "number of his own commitments" in the past 24-48 hours and the decision to kick him off the squad was taken "in the bigger picture" of Australian cricket.
"He let himself down, he let his team-mates down and let Cricket Australia down," Ponting said at a news conference at The Oval.
Ponting said Australia are looking for a replacement for Symonds ahead of the team's opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday against West Indies.
"We're all disappointed with what happened over the last 24 hours," he said. "Losing one of the best Twenty20 players in the world is obviously not ideal."
But Ponting said the team would cope without him.
"Hopefully we don't miss a beat from here," he said. "It would be like wishing in a couple of weeks' time that we had McGrath, Hayden and Warne around. That's not going to happen."
A decision on Symonds' future is up to the Cricket Australia board.

Bangladesh eye another upset over India

Bangladesh are not overawed by holders India and captain Mohammed Ashraful said they would aim to repeat their 2007 ODI World Cup win when they take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side in their Group A opener of the ICC World Twenty20 on Saturday.
Bangladesh stunned India in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean to plot an early exit of their neighbors from the quadrennial extravaganza and Ashraful said a repeat on Saturday could give them a Super Eights berth in the Twenty20 World Cup.
"Our first goal is the Super Eights but if we have a good start against India, it will give us the confidence of going far in the tournament," Ashraful said.
Bangladesh, who are clubbed with India and Ireland with the top two teams from each group progressing to the Super Eight stage, had also beaten the West Indies in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.
Ashraful was not unduly perturbed by the two defeats in as many days in the warm-up matches, first a 38-run loss to formidable Australia on Monday and then a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
"This is a format in which any side can beat the other. It's not a lottery but everything depends on how a team plays on that particular day," Ashraful said.

Ganguly begins TV stint with T20 World Cup

India's most successful captain Sourav Ganguly is set to herald the start of a new innings behind the microphone post-retirement after he was signed by ESPN STAR Sports as an expert analyst for the ICC World Twenty20, commencing in England on Saturday.
Ganguly will be part of an ESPN STAR Sports commentary panel including the likes of Ian Chappell, Ian Bishop, Wasim Akram, Sanjay Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle and Nasser Hussain.
Ganguly, who will start his stint with the channel from the semi-final stage, said he was excited about his new role, which also comprises interacting with his former teammates.
"I look forward to interviewing my erstwhile teammates. I am very excited about my new role as the ICC World Twenty20 is the biggest event for an analyst like me and I look forward to the semi-finals and the final where I will be commencing my stint with ESS," he said.
R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd. Said Ganguly's uncanny ability to read match situations made him fit for the job.
"Sourav is recognized by the cricket fraternity globally as one of the shrewdest captains in the history of the game combined with his extraordinary leadership skills his uncanny ability to read match situations gave the national team a defining edge during his tenure.
"His analysis and his understanding of the modern day game will now lend a new dimension to the overall experience in the commentary box," he added.
STAR Cricket, the 24 hours cricket channel from the ESPN STAR Sports stable, will telecast live all the 27 matches of the tournament.