Former Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds has unfortunately died after a car accident near the outskirts of the city of Townsville on Sunday. He was 46 and has often been considered one of the greatest all-rounders to represent the country, as he had played 26 Tests, 198 ODIs, and 14 T20Is for Australia and was a two-time World Cup winner.
A statement issued by police as per the quotes in Hindustan Times read: “Early information indicates, shortly after 11pm the car was being driven on Hervey Range Road, near Alice River Bridge when it left the roadway and rolled. Emergency services attempted to revive the 46-year-old driver and sole occupant, however, he died of his injuries. The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.”
According to a report in NewsCorp, Andrew Symonds’ family issued a statement “confirming his passing, and appreciated peoples’ sympathy and best wishes, and asked that their privacy be respected”.
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Andrew Symonds, lovingly known as ‘Roy’, made his Australia debut in 1998. In nearly 200 ODIs, Symonds had amassed 5088 runs at an average of 39.75 with the help of six hundred and 30 half-centuries, and he also took 133 wickets. He earned a name for himself during the 2003 World Cup when he scored a match-winning 143 against Pakistan. While Symonds’ Test career did not touch the highs of his ODI achievements, he scored 1462 runs with the help of a couple of centuries and 10 fifties.
Post-retirement from cricket in February of 2012, Andrew Symonds ventured in sports commentary and broadcasting and became a renowned figure for Fox Sports. Legendary former Australia skipper, Allan Border paid tribute to Symonds, highlighting what made his different from the rest.
During a chat on Nin Network, Allan Border said, “He hit the ball a long way and just wanted to entertain. He was, in a way, a little bit of an old-fashioned cricketer. He was an adventurer. Loved his fishing, he loved hiking and camping. When I spoke to him, I think he still had a hundred head of cattle he used to muster. Symo away from the cameras and away from the spotlight, loved, I think, a bit of solitude and that is why he loved his fishing. Loved his own time.”
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Andrew Symonds is the third former Australia cricketer to have lost his life this year. In March, it was Rod Marsh’s passing at the age of 74 and Shane Warne suffered a shocking heart attack 52 that had sent the Australian cricket fraternity in mourning.
Here are some of the reactions from the cricketing fraternity:
India-A vs Aus-A, 1999 in the USA, was my first interaction with Andrew Symonds. His demise is utterly shocking. RIP #Roy #Andrew Symonds pic.twitter.com/y0tgxNbc9c
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) May 15, 2022
Another tragic day for cricket. Andrew Symonds no more. #rip #ROY
— Gautam Bhimani (@gbhimani) May 15, 2022
Sad to hear the sudden demise of Symonds 💔 #AndrewSymonds #RIP pic.twitter.com/dg3aI3akod
— Mona Meshram (@MonaMeshram30) May 15, 2022
Terrible news to wake up to. Saddened to know that Andrew Symonds is no more. Gone way too soon 💔 Thoughts go out to his family and friends. May God give them strength to cope with this tragedy. #RIP 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/So0QGLnMxr
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) May 15, 2022
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) May 14, 2022
Simmo .. This doesn’t feel real .. #RIP ❤️
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 14, 2022
Shocked to hear about the passing of Andrew Symonds. Gone too soon. Rest in peace. #RIPAndrewSymonds
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) May 15, 2022
Heartfelt condolences on the demise of famous Crickter Andrew symonds. We lost two regular players of ipl shane warne and now Andrew. He had sweet & sour relations with Indian players but great friend. RIP @CricketAus @BCCI
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) May 15, 2022
Devastated to hear about Andrew Symonds passing away in a car crash in Australia. We shared a great relationship on & off the field. Thoughts & prayers with the family. #AndrewSymonds pic.twitter.com/QMZMCwLdZs
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) May 14, 2022
