Fear Factor: Andrew Symonds
The Australian One-Day team won’t be as fearsome without its dread-locked star Andrew Symonds. On Sunday the classy all-rounder successfully underwent surgery to repair his torn right bicep he injured against England recently. The injury sustained after Symonds cleared his arms to play a typically powerful stroke through the offside has thrown Australia’s plans for a third successive World Cup into disarray.
The powerful all-rounder, who cemented his name in the Australian team during the last World Cup, will be doing his best to recover in time for the latter stages of the tournament. Arguably the world’s most valuable one-day player the Australian selectors should have no trouble in selecting him with the hope that he will recover in time to have an impact in the last two or three matches.
Ian Chappell believes Symonds’ ability is irreplaceable and his absence will serve to bring Australia back to the chasing pack of World Cup competitors. Chappell outlined the all-rounder’s ability to instil fear into the opposition through his match-turning batting, run-outs, blinding catches and flexible and tidy bowling.
It is hard to doubt Chappell’s thinking, as Symonds has matured into a much more complete player in recent seasons. His fielding is second to none and he has ability to field in the ring with a powerful and precise arm. In the outfield his flat arm puts doubt in the minds of batsmen and simply his presence in the vicinity of the ball turns two’s into singles and singles into dot balls. Then there is the brilliance of his hands which regularly snavel ‘classic’ with envious ease.
His bowling has improved greatly and he offers the variety of handy medium-pacers and off-spinners that he can flight or dart in depending on the situation. Coming in to bat at number five Symonds faces a variety of different situations. Often he strides to the crease with just few overs left to put the icing on the cake and bludgeon the ball over the ropes, to turn a big score into a score that cannot be chased. Other times he is called upon to dig Australia out of a hole, build an innings and set a target, or guide Australia to victory.
In every role Symonds has become a potential match-winner and even if there is only a slim chance he will prove his fitness, the Australian selectors would be foolish not to take the risk and pick him in the 15-man World Cup squad. After all, according to Ian Chappell just hearing his name is enough to create fear in the opposition.
The powerful all-rounder, who cemented his name in the Australian team during the last World Cup, will be doing his best to recover in time for the latter stages of the tournament. Arguably the world’s most valuable one-day player the Australian selectors should have no trouble in selecting him with the hope that he will recover in time to have an impact in the last two or three matches.
Ian Chappell believes Symonds’ ability is irreplaceable and his absence will serve to bring Australia back to the chasing pack of World Cup competitors. Chappell outlined the all-rounder’s ability to instil fear into the opposition through his match-turning batting, run-outs, blinding catches and flexible and tidy bowling.
It is hard to doubt Chappell’s thinking, as Symonds has matured into a much more complete player in recent seasons. His fielding is second to none and he has ability to field in the ring with a powerful and precise arm. In the outfield his flat arm puts doubt in the minds of batsmen and simply his presence in the vicinity of the ball turns two’s into singles and singles into dot balls. Then there is the brilliance of his hands which regularly snavel ‘classic’ with envious ease.
His bowling has improved greatly and he offers the variety of handy medium-pacers and off-spinners that he can flight or dart in depending on the situation. Coming in to bat at number five Symonds faces a variety of different situations. Often he strides to the crease with just few overs left to put the icing on the cake and bludgeon the ball over the ropes, to turn a big score into a score that cannot be chased. Other times he is called upon to dig Australia out of a hole, build an innings and set a target, or guide Australia to victory.
In every role Symonds has become a potential match-winner and even if there is only a slim chance he will prove his fitness, the Australian selectors would be foolish not to take the risk and pick him in the 15-man World Cup squad. After all, according to Ian Chappell just hearing his name is enough to create fear in the opposition.
posted by Chris Walker at 5:22 AM
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