Wayward Symonds at crossroads

‘I went down to the cross roads, fell down on my knees’ is the famous lyric thrown down by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. It couldn’t be more apt than be used to describe the situation now facing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

Symonds has a long and colourful history with the Australian cricket team, struggling to make his name known until he was picked, controversially at the time, for the 2003 World Cup. In the first game against Pakistan he hit 143 not out and it was his rebirth as a cricketer.

In 1999, he and teammate Matthew Hayden were put in serious danger when their boat capsized off Stradbroke Island in Queensland during a fishing trip. Both swam over an hour to safety in an area well noted for its shark population.

In 2005 he turned up to a one day match against Bangladesh still drunk from the previous night and was immediately suspended for two matches. Australia went on to famously lose the match against Bangladesh. His next appearance marked his best bowling return of 5/18 in their next encounter.

In 2006, he was almost involved in a fight at a South African nightclub with a player from the Central Cheetahs before Michael Clarke and giant prop Ollie le Roux diffused the situation. This current incident was, compared to the previous mentioned, a minor one, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Symonds had gone out fishing (A pastime he enthusiastically indulges in) early, unaware that a compulsory team meeting had been called. Upon returning, Symonds faced the leadership team and was told to head home to examine whether he still had his commitments in the right place.

Clarke, the current stand-in captain for Australia, said in an interview http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-AU&brand=ninemsn&vid=da93d52b-3b26-4f87-9b95-9369759fa9e6 that in was also attributed to several unnamed incidents leading up to the decision, which is intriguing considering the only the public know about were those broadcast in the media.

Symonds is an important member of the Australian team, one with a great deal of responsibility upon him. Perhaps he needs time away from the sport to evaluate whether his heart is still in the game. With an important tour of India looming, Australia may need his ability to win matches if they are to succeed.

Can he master himself in such a short time? Or will he just fall prey to the flaws in his character?