England’s new white-ball coach Matthew Mott has revealed that late Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds was “definitely considering” playing for England, as he held a UK passport.
Symonds, 46, was killed in a car accident earlier this month outside Townsville, off the north-east coast of Queensland, Australia.
“He (Symonds) was definitely considering it (while playing for England),” Mott told former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Ian Healy on Friday for the late cricketer, reports Cricket365.com. Told at the memorial service.
When asked about the offer he had for the Birmingham-born cricketer in late 1995, Mott said, “It (the offer) was very tempting for him, basically he had it on a plate, and of course (his mother). – father). From there (England). But it took off on his moral compass: he was desperate to play for Australia. It was his childhood dream; It was never a monetary thing,” former Australia women’s team head coach Mott was quoted as saying in the report.
In fact, county side Gloucestershire signed Symonds as a “non-overseas player” and the then 19-year-old Symonds scored four centuries in the season and “offered a place on England A’s tour of Pakistan”.
In his first county game, Symonds hit 16 sixes in his 254 not out against Glamorgan in August 1995, until England’s Test captain Ben Stokes broke the record earlier this month while playing for Durham, the report said. has gone.
However, Symonds turned down an offer to play for the team captained by Nasser Hossain, and instead “declared his allegiance with Australia, joining their A side a year later”, according to the report.
Symonds’ former Australia teammate Darren Lehmann said England was the late cricketer’s favorite destination.
“He loved touring England, loved playing there,” Lehmann said, adding Symonds was “the best player ever.”
Lehmann coached Symonds when the pair was with the Indian Premier League side Deccan Chargers.
“And I mean no disrespect to the other blocks here, but he was. It was a pleasure to train him. But what he was more than that, he was just a great guy.”
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