RIP Andrew Symonds: From Monkeygate to alcohol abuse - 4 controversies surrounding him

Andrew Symonds suffered an unfortunate demise from a car crash at 46. Besides being an Australian legend, he was also very controversial. Here are his five notable incidents.

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It was a sad Sunday for the cricketing fraternity as former Australian great Andrew Symonds passed away in a car accident in Queensland on Saturday night. The 46-year-old retired all-rounder was the sole rider in the car driving it as he succumbed to the severe injuries he suffered. As a result, the world is mourning his demise. Meanwhile, besides being a cricketing legend, he was also infamous for all the wrong reasons as he happened to be a controversial figure in the sport. On the same note, we look at his five controversies that had the world talking.

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Alcohol abuse
Symonds was notorious for being an alcoholic. In 2005, before a tri-series game against Bangladesh in Cardiff, he consumed heavy alcohol, leading him to be dropped. Although he did not like the decision, the team management did so in the team's best interest.

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Dropped from T20Is
In 2009, Symonds was accused of a significant disciplinary breach in the Australian side, dropping him from the Twenty20 International (T20I) squad and being sent home midway through the ICC T20 World Cup 2009.

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Spat with Michael Clarke
In 2008, Australia was playing Bangladesh in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). However, as Michael Clarke was announced the side's vice-captain, Symonds was seemingly unhappy with the decision, leading him to skip team meetings and go fishing. As a result, he was sent home midway through the series, while he later revealed that having been offered ₹5.40 crore during the 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) affected their relationship.

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Monkeygate
The most prominent controversy involving him happened to be between him and Harbhajan Singh in 2008. During the Sydney Test, the Indian supposedly abused him. However, the Australian misunderstood him as racist and complained to the umpires, as the same reached the match referee. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had a formal hearing, where Harbhajan was banned for the following Perth Test, while Symonds received heavy backlash from Indian fans.