Clarke’s fond Symonds ‘connection’
FORMER Australian captain Michael Clarke has opened up on the “amazing connection” he once shared with Andrew Symonds in the wake of his old teammate’s death.
Reflections on shared adventures have become far too common for ex-Australia players in recent times and the death of Symonds, on the back of Shane Warne, Rod Marsh, and even Phil Hughes, has left much of the cricket fraternity devastated.
“I don’t know what’s going on in cricket at the moment, it’s just devastating. Been a horrible few months,” Clarke said. “These are the times you grab your family, your friends and cherish every day, I guess.”
Clarke and Symonds played Test matches, one-day cricket and T20s together, including Australia’s 2007 World Cup win. They travelled the world, with Symonds seeking experiences and Clarke went along for the ride.
And while the pair famously fell out in retirement, there was no hiding the affection the former skipper had for a teammate who “made me feel comfortable” in the most uncomfortable of situations.
That included a two-week road trip in a Winnebago when the pair travelled from Sydney to Brisbane and then further north into Symonds’ element.
“We were so opposite in so many ways. The laughing joke in our team was complete city boy me, complete country boy him, yet we built an amazing connection,” Clarke told the Big Sports Breakfast.
That bond continued onfield, with Clarke declaring Symonds one of “my favourite batsmen to bat with in the Australian team”.
“We just had a really good connection,” Clarke said.