Thaindian News

Sydney, Oct 9 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland has made it clear that troubled all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who was dropped from the ongoing Test tour of India on disciplinary grounds, will have to earn his place back in the side.Symonds was sent back home from Darwin on the eve of the Bangladesh series after he skipped the team meeting to go fishing. He was then dropped from the four Test series in India.

Symonds has since apologised and made all the right noises about returning as a better person. Though Sutherland is delighted with his efforts, he minces no words when he says Symonds will have to prove his worth by action.

“I’ve had a couple of chats with him in the last couple of weeks. He knows that talk is cheap at this time and it’s the actions that really count,” Sutherland was quoted as saying by the Courier Mail.

“I think he really understands that actions are the things that are really going to speak for him now and that’s what he wants to concentrate on.

“I’ve got a really good feeling about the way he is working towards coming back.

“There’s nothing more that he wants right now than to be playing cricket for the Australian cricket team.

“I am really confident - talking to him and hearing others talk about how he is applying himself - that it won’t be too far away,” he said.

However, as Symonds continues to consult psychologists in his rehabilitation programme which is being overseen by CA medical staff, officials have not set a timeline for his return.

“I don’t think there is any set timeline,” Sutherland said.

“Andrew has quite rightly been careful not to build any expectations. We are all on the same page in terms of wanting to see Andrew back playing cricket for Australia.”