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| Andrew Symonds |
Calcutta: Controversial allrounder Andrew Symonds was dropped on Friday from Australia’s 15-member squad for the four-Test series in India, beginning next month, on disciplinary grounds.
Symonds, who created a flutter earlier this year by claiming India’s Harbhajan Singh had racially abused him, has been given time for “introspection” so that he can decide on his future, according to a Cricket Australia press release. The team arrive in India later this month.
Andrew Hilditch, chairman of Australia’s national selection panel, said Symonds, who was sent packing from Darwin last month for preferring fishing to team meeting, is now in a process of introspection and will be considered once he is fully fit.
“Andrew Symonds was sent home for disciplinary reasons from Darwin and is now going through a process managed by Cricket Australia, designed to give him time to assess whether he is fully committed to all of the things needed for a cricketer to be a member of the world’s No.1 team,” Hilditch said.
“Cricket Australia has told us that selectors will be advised once Andrew can be considered again for selection and we hope we can look forward to that advice in due course because as we all know, a fit and fully-committed Andrew Symonds can be a world beater,” he added.
Left-arm spinner Beau Casson has also been dropped while 36-year-old leg-spinner Bryce McGain is set to make his debut against India. Jason Krejza, another right-arm spinner, has also been given a ticket.
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“We are pleased with the balance achieved in this squad. We have selected two internationally inexperienced spinners but we feel they are the right kind of spinners for the conditions and believe that both will do very well,” Hilditch said.
“McGain was the standout leg-spinner at inter-state level last year and we think he is really well suited to the Indian conditions and bowling plans. Krejza had a good season for Tasmania last year and is a selection very much for Indian conditions. The selectors felt right-arm finger spinners would perform well in India,” he added.
Among the pacers, youngsters Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle have been given a chance, while allrounder Shane Watson has been included to provide extra flexibility to the team.
Captain Ricky Ponting and opener Matthew Hayden are also recovering fast from injuries and Hilditch expected the duo would be fit and play a pivotal role in the series, which starts on October 9 in Bangalore.