The death of Andrew Symonds came as a terrible shock to the cricket community and our shared thoughts and love are with his family and friends.
It was difficult to reflect the timing of the verdict in the game. News stories and social media updates all show between ultra-athletic run-outs, spectacular catches and hard-hit-all-format-entertaining mischief, abandonment, and the mischief of ordinary professional athletes.
The highs and lows were all captured in a series of three-minute news openers that were on the edge of our seats – every time. That was the verdict. Impressive. Entertainment givers.
My own social dealings with him were few but memorable. In each case, they have seized it, despite obstacles we can scarcely imagine. ” For a cricketer, this kind of instant interaction was rare, which made it so amazing, entertaining, memorable and wonderful.
I loved him for it. That’s why fans love him too.
A tendency for wine and brawl strikers in the far north of Queensland with aquabra-clad hunters, including dreadlocks, and tackles and body checks. Its all-encompassing, all-encompassing game, and a whole life, built on fun, freedom and perishable humor – sometimes with beer, is important for balance.
My only trip with Roy was from which he sent home. And no. It wasn’t school camp.
At the time, I could only find humor and praise in Roy’s decision to go fishing instead of attending a team meeting. I can only name a few cricketers who have really enjoyed a team meeting, especially one that has been classified as ‘compulsory’, and there is not a single one where I haven’t thought about breaking the window and going out to play golf.
Yes, Roy did it for the sake of greed. His legend only grew in my eyes.
Or did he?
You may not believe it, but to this day – when I googled some of Roy’s fishing news – I had no idea that the team meeting that Roy missed was not on the original route. And I was there. In the original meeting. With a copy of the original travel schedule!
Andrew Symonds (Getty Images).
There was an optional training session in the afternoon, which he announced he was not attending, and the call went off that morning that a compulsory team meeting was being scheduled. Of course, at the time of sending those comments, Roy was in deep water, without a phone reception, so he was completely unaware of the meeting.
A deliberate lead sewing up?
As a newcomer to the squad, it was clear that there was some tension surrounding the leadership team and the verdict. He was not involved in the week-long pre-tour camp at AIS in Brisbane, and for the first time in Darwin I saw him as a member of the ODI squad after boarding a flight to Darwin. Take us north.
As the business class section of that flight was quickly filled with civilians wearing Australian team tracksuits and suits, I sat down in my seat next to Mike Hussey, put on my glasses, and picked up a book.
“Hey, congratulations *******, সুন্দর চশমা, হাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহাহা” একটাকথা পেছন থেকে ভেসে এল। বলতো কে?
I turned around and served with a humble offer on my chubby middle finger before returning to my book, I was comfortable to confirm the content of the knowledge that Roy had taken. Haas was by his side with concern around the comment (whoever he thought of, would put him in my lap). I appreciated the concern, but didn’t think about it again until the team manager showed similar concern after going down the front stairs.
Honestly, the anxiety was felt a little too much, and I am even more grateful for the fact that Roy involved me with the nonsense I received from my non-cricketing teammates at home. Whenever I walked into my old football club, I was verbally abused and burned with laughter – just like any other person that walked by.
It seemed strange that such an interaction would cause such anxiety. And the verdict has apparently added a layer to the already tense atmosphere.
That’s why when I walked past Roy at The Normanby Hotel in Brisbane just a few months later, and he was surrounded by about eight drunken strangers, all questioning him and verbally hammering, I stopped to offer him a beer to get rid of them. .
My scream.
“Onya Greevesy, those blokes were starting to harass me”.
I let Roy take a round of beer with a group of Tassie players.
In The Normanbai, after midnight means beer is served from plastic cups. This is a pretty safe way to operate and well done to establish for adopting this kind of common sense method of protection.
When I put the beers on the team, I can see the change in the body language and general behavior of the bears. As if I had spit on him.
“Jesus, Greaves, I don’t drink beer from plastic cups, do you think I am !! ??”
Splash !!
That plastic cup and that beer flew over my head. And Roy left, carrying my heart forever.
Roy’s entire career: his preparation, his post-match recovery and his personal style were created by the old school. Old-school bulls and their hard drinking, hard plain ‘and easy way to win.
The transition to high performance – human politics, behavioral expectations, communication styles, psychological profiling, money, jealousy and hierarchy – was not naturally appropriate for him through a decade of repetition in other genres; Especially after Cricket Australia refused to stand with him when he fought the politics and classification of organizational high performance in his personal fight against racism.
Comply with their standards? After they abandoned him? It was unreasonable to expect anything else.
Roy is one of them.
Described as:
“A cult figure.”
“The genius of a generation.”
“The best all-rounder in the world.”
“A real heart and soul type.”
“A great player and a better person.”
“He had a lot of charisma and mystery. A sharp intellect but if he didn’t think anything right he would stand against anyone or anything.
His influence on a generation of cricketers and fans is profound. But as important, or not as big, as it was, it affected his two young children, Billy and Chloe, and his wife, Laura.
His legacy lives and loves through them and through them.
RIP Roy, you just left your mark in the middle and on the legs.