Andrew Symonds

Andrew Symonds was a talented and versatile Australian cricketer who played all three formats as a batting all-rounder. He was born on 9 June 1975 in Birmingham, England, to a Croatian father and an Australian mother. He was adopted by his parents at three months of age and moved to Australia when he was a toddler. He had three siblings, one of whom was also adopted. Symonds started playing cricket at a young age and showed exceptional talent and passion for the game. He attended All Souls St Gabriels School and All Saints Anglican School in Queensland, where he excelled in sports. He also played rugby league and Australian rules football as a teenager. He made his first-class debut for Queensland in 1994 and soon became a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket. He also played for Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Surrey and Deccan Chargers in various overseas leagues. Symonds made his international debut for Australia in 1998 in an ODI against Pakistan. He was a key member of the Australian team that won the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups. He was known for his aggressive batting style, powerful hitting and ability to score quickly in any situation. He also contributed with his medium pace and off-spin bowling and was an outstanding fielder in any position. He scored six ODI centuries, including one on debut against Sri Lanka in 2003. He also scored three Test centuries, including a career-best 162 not out against India in Sydney in 2008. Symonds was also involved in several controversies and disciplinary issues throughout his career. He had a strained relationship with his father, who abandoned him when he was young. He also struggled with alcoholism and depression and admitted to having suicidal thoughts at times. He was involved in the infamous Monkeygate scandal with Harbhajan Singh in 2008, which sparked a major rift between the Australian and Indian teams. He was also suspended or fined several times for breaching the code of conduct or violating team rules. His final international appearance was in a T20 match against Pakistan in 2009, after which he was sent home from the World Twenty20 for breaking the team's alcohol policy. Symonds retired from all forms of cricket in 2012 to focus on his family life. He married Laura Wells, a model and environmentalist, in 2014 and had two children with her. He also worked as a cricket commentator and analyst for various media outlets. He participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 5 in India in 2011, where he befriended Harbhajan Singh and buried their past differences. Symonds died on 14 May 2022 at the age of 46 in a single-vehicle car crash at Hervey Range, outside Townsville, Queensland. He was driving alone when he lost control of his car and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. His death shocked and saddened the cricket world and sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans, players, officials and celebrities.