Andrew Symonds, the former Australia all-rounder, has passed away following a car crash near the outskirts of the city of Townsville on Sunday. He was 46 and is survived by wife Laura and two young children, Chloe and Billy. Symonds, one of the greatest all-rounders to represent the country, played 26 Tests, 198 ODIs and 14 T20Is for Australia and was a two-time World Cup winner.
“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,” a statement issued by the police read. 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, Symonds’ family issued a statement “confirming his passing, and appreciated peoples’ sympathy and best wishes, and asked that their privacy be respected”. Symonds, lovingly known as ‘Roy’, made his Australia debut in 1998, during an ODI against Pakistan and it was in the 50-overs setup that the dynamic all-rounder would prove his mettle. In nearly 200 ODIs, Symonds scored over 5000 runs at an average of 39.75 while batting in the middle order, including six hundreds and 30 half-centuries and also took 133 wickets. A big-hitting batter, a witty bowler and a spotless fielder, Symonds was one of the top all-rounders of his era. While he was always full of promise, it was during the 2003 World Cup that Symonds really burst onto the scene, scoring a match-winning 143 against Pakistan. While Symonds’ Test career did not touch the highs of his ODI achievements, he scored 1462 runs with two centuries and 10 fifties.Post retirement from cricket in February of 2012, Symonds ventured in sports commentary and broadcasting and became a renowned figure for Fox Sports. Legendary former Australia captain Allan Border paid tribute to Symonds, highlighting what made his different from the rest. “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, former Test captain and Fox Sports,” colleague Allan Border told the Nine Network.
