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Andrew Symonds has been sent home from the ICC World Twenty20 for an "alcohol-related incident", throwing Australia's plans for the tournament into disarray. According to Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, Symonds broke team rules related to alcohol and other issues, while the captain, Ricky Ponting, is due to address the media in London at 1pm.
Symonds attended a PCA dinner with the Twenty20 squad at a Kensington hotel on Wednesday night, but was a notable absentee at Australia's training session at The Oval on Thursday, prompting speculation that he could be on his way home. Following a series of misdemeanours in the past 12 months, Symonds was on a final warning from Cricket Australia, and there is the strong possibility that this latest incident will lead to the withdrawal of his central contract.
Symonds has been involved in numerous off-field incidents in recent seasons, most notably the Darwin fishing saga in August 2008, during which he missed a team meeting ahead of the one-day series against Bangladesh, which prompted the team management to send him home from the series.
In addition, he was fined Aus$4000 for a drunken radio interview in January 2009 in which he referred to the New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendan McCullum as "a piece of s..." Symonds apologised, having admitted that alcohol was playing a big part in his life, and he subsequently stated that he was "entering the final chapter of his career".
Cricket Australia issued separate press releases stating that Ponting and Sutherland would address media conferences in London and Melbourne "to discuss a player-related issue".
