By IANS,
Sydney : Rattled by Andrew Symonds’ latest misdemeanour, Cricket Australia (CA) swung into action Tuesday and said it will reveal the outcome of the investigation into the pub brawl involving the controversial all-rounder by Wednesday.
Symonds, who played in the first Test against New Zealand after serving two months of disciplinary punishment, was in the news again for wrong reasons. The burly Queenslander and his friends were engaged in a brawl at a Brisbane hotel Sunday night while celebrating Australia’s win at the Gabba.
Symonds was flying to Adelaide to prepare for Friday’s second Test against New Zealand and was also to meet CA’s general manager of cricket Michael Brown, who was conducting the investigation.
A statement from CA Tuesday showed its seriousness to deal with the issue at the earliest.
“Michael Brown has and continues to interview a wide range of those involved in and around the incident, including taking eyewitness account detail, and a report to CA chief executive James Sutherland is expected to be finalised either late this evening or early on Wednesday,” CA said in a statement.
“A final recommendation will be determined after James Sutherland (CA chief executive) receives the final written report. He and Andrew Symonds have an opportunity for first-hand discussion, as well as taking feedback from captain Ricky Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen, who had each left Brisbane before the incident.”
Sutherland said he hopes to be able to make a public statement while he is in Adelaide Wednesday.
Symonds was kicked out of the Australian one-day team for the series against Bangladesh in September because he skipped a pre-series team meeting to go fishing.
The trouble-prone batsman also missed Australia’s Test series defeat in India over the affair, but was recalled to the side for last week’s Test in Brisbane.
Symonds though has denied he was in a “pub fight” at Normanby Hotel.
“A member of the public acted unreasonably towards me while I was with friends at which time I took steps to remove myself from the situation,” Symonds said in a statement Monday.
Symonds, who recently admitted to a drinking problem, has denied he is being treated for alcohol addiction, saying he is battling a “stress-related illness”.