Symmo- The Bad Boy of Cricket calls it a day

The Bad Boy of Cricket, Andrew Symonds have decided to call it quits from all forms of professional cricket. The controversial all rounder from Queensland has cited family reasons for the decision.

Symonds, 36, hasn’t played for Australia since being sent home from the World Twenty20 in England three years ago, but has turned out for several domestic outfits in limited-overs cricket. He is currently contracted to the IPL side Mumbai Indians but his announcement means he will not feature in the upcoming fifth season.

“Effective immediately, I am retiring from all forms of professional cricket,” Symonds said. “It is with regret that I will not be able to fulfill my final year of the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians and the IPL have both been very supportive of me, but the impending arrival of my first child is a priority.”

Symonds had snapped ties with his home side Queensland before the 2010-11 Big Bash, and has only played for Mumbai since. He was bought for $850,000 at the IPL auction last year, but he struggled to deliver for Mumbai. Symonds failed to score a half-century in either the IPL or the Champions League T20 in 2011, and even lost a permanent place in the starting line-up.

“Andrew Symonds was an integral part of Mumbai Indians in season four as well as our Champions League winning team. He was a great team player and the youngsters always looked upto him for guidance. We appreciate and respect his decision and wish him very best in all his future endeavors,” Mumbai Indians spokesperson said.

Symonds made his first class debut in 1994-95 and featured in his first ODI in November 1998 against Pakistan in Lahore. He scored 5,088 runs from 198 ODIs at an average of 39.75 before retiring in 2009.

The big allrounder made his Test debut in March 2004 against Sri Lanka. He scored 1,462 runs from 26 matches at an average of 40.61 . He has 24 and 133 wickets in Test and ODI cricket respectively. He played his last match against South Africa in December 2008.

A two-time World Cup winner, Symonds has always been marred with controversies. He was an integral part of the Australian ODI team but often made the headlines with bouts of indiscipline. Symonds was dropped from the team in England in 2005 when he turned up for an ODI against Bangladesh in Cardiff while still under the influence of alcohol. The issue of drinking re-emerged in 2008.

A big hitter and an outstanding fielder, Symonds was a natural athlete and had the ability to bowl either spin or medium-pace. His all round ability made him an indispensable part of any team that he turned out for. The highlight of his career was the swashbuckling hundred that he scored against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup that brought back Australia in the tournament.

His most infamous moment in cricket arrived when he got involved into a racism row with Harbhajan Singh of India in 2008. He alleged the Indian International of racist remarks- an issue that almost threatened an abrupt end of India’s Test tour of Australia.

The big Queenslander was a versatile all rounder and a real character on the field but the cricketing world would always remember him as the Bad Boy with his drinking issues, racist rows and fishing trips.