Symonds life and soul of a party and team: Vettori
Black Caps great Daniel Vettori has paid tribute to Andrew Symonds, describing the ‘‘threedimensional player’’ as ‘‘the life and soul’’ of one of the great eras of Australian cricket.
Symonds, 46, was killed in a car crash in Queensland on Sunday.
Vettori said he had been lucky enough to play against Symonds and lucky enough to work with him at the Brisbane Heat.
The former Black Caps captain and spinner said the death of Symonds, on the back of losing Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, continued ‘‘a terrible time for the Australian cricket community let alone the world’’.
‘‘He was a larger than life character, people just loved him… loved being around him. He was gregarious, he was fun, and he was the life and soul of a party but also a team man,’’ Vettori told Cricinfo as the tragic death of Symonds was discussed.
‘‘If you talk to those Australian players of that era, they thought that he made the team tick with his energy, his love of life and love of the gamemore than anything.
‘‘When times were tough in cricket he made it easier and that’s why they loved him so much.’’
Symonds had proven to be a player for any crisis given his remarkable allround skills.
‘‘He was the icing on the cake to that amazing team,’’ Vettori said.
‘‘The fact that he slotted in at six, played an aggressive game, carried on whatever the top order had done, and then as a bowler who could bowl medium pace when required but also bowl some very handy spin … and arguably the greatest fielder that cricket has seen in a long time.
‘‘Hemade it so there was no letup in that Australian team.
‘‘Every game you played against him, the game was never over till you had got him out, or he had finished his spell or somehow the ball wasn’t going near him in the field because he was a threedimensional player who contributed so many things to that great team.’’
Symonds had world-class statistics to back up his range of abilities.
He played 26 tests between 2004 and 2008, scoring 1462 runs at an average of 41 with two centuries. He also claimed 24 wickets at an average of 37 with his lively medium pace and off spin.
Symonds excelled in white ball cricket, playing 198 one-day internationals for 5088 runs at 40 with six hundreds at a strike rate of 92 and claiming 133 wickets.
He was a key member of the one-day side what went on to win successive World Cups.
His career coincided with the rise of Twenty20 cricket, playing 14 times for Australia for a phenomenal strike rate of 169.