The tragic death of Andrew Symonds stunned the cricket world. The 46-year-old all-rounder died on the scene after his automobile ran off the road in Queensland, Australia.
The police stated they were investigating, but one thing was certain: Symonds was no longer alive.
Meanwhile, facts of the deadly vehicle crash are now being revealed, with one of the witnesses spilling the beans. The cricketer had no pulse and was accompanied by both of his dogs, both of which survived, one of which was unwilling to leave his lifeless body.
“One of them was very sensitive and didn’t want to leave him,” she said, as quoted by Australia’s Courier Mail.
“It would just growl at you every time we tried to move him or go near him.” She had earlier said that her partner tried to save his life, but couldn’t do so as there was no pulse.
“My partner tried to get (Symonds) out of the car, to put him on to his back. He was unconscious, not responsive, and had no pulse,” the witness said.
Absolute fan favourite
Confirming the shocking development, Cricket Australia issued a statement attributed to chair Lachlan Henderson. “Australian cricket has lost another of its very best. Andrew was a generational talent who was instrumental in Australia’s success at World Cups and as part of Queensland’s rich cricket history.
“He was a cult figure to many who was treasured by his fans and friends. On behalf of Australian cricket our deepest sympathies are with Andrew’s family, team-mates, and friends.”
Between 1998 and 2009, Symonds played 26 Tests, 198 One-Day Internationals, and 14 Twenty20 Internationals in an occasionally contentious but mainly successful career.
Symonds was the complete limited-overs package, brutally aggressive with the bat, fiercely nimble on the field, and deceptively deadly with the ball.
He was a key element of Australia’s unbeaten World Cup campaigns in 2003 and 2007. Even in his brief Test career, he made an impression, striking a Boxing Day Ashes hundred as well as a counter-attacking 162* in the contentious Sydney Test of 2008, which helped Australia retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
He went on to record five more hundreds in the 50-over format, finishing with an average nearing 40 despite primarily playing as a finisher.
T20 cricket took off in the latter half of his career, but the Queenslander had his fair share of fun in a format that fit his dynamic all-round game perfectly.
He was signed by the Deccan Chargers for USD 1.35 million ahead of the inaugural season of the IPL and hammered a 53-ball 117* against Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals in only the team’s third game.
Symonds moved into broadcasting after retiring from all aspects of the game in 2012, and he was a regular presence in the commentary box during Australia’s home season as well as in the Big Bash League.
