By IANS,
Melbourne : Troubled Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds, who was put on mental rehabilitation by Cricket Australia (CA), is believed to have recovered and will make his return to the national team in the Test series against New Zealand starting Nov 20.
According to a report in The Age, Cricket Australia’s (CA) chief executive met Symonds to gauge his recovery and was impressed with the burly Queenslander’s progress.
Symonds was axed from the Australian cricket team after he skipped a team meeting in Darwin this August and went fishing instead. He was suspended from the team, following which he was put on mental rehabilitation.
Sutherland after meeting Symonds didn’t specify when the all-rounder would make his return to the national team, but it is expected that he will be in the team for the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.
“We had a good chat. Over the last month or so, I’ve had regular chats with Andrew over the phone and I caught up with him face-to-face in Brisbane a few weeks ago – as much as anything, to be able to talk to him face-to-face and see how he’s coming along. It was a good chat,” Sutherland was quoted as saying by The Age here Thursday.
“He’d probably be liking to make a few more runs. I think he’s in a good place. I know talking to him and others who are close to him as he seeks to come back to full strength – mental, physical and skill-wise – that he’s progressing really well,” he added.
Sutherland went on to add that CA’s only concern now is Symonds’ on-field form.
“Certainly in terms of effort and application, everything is really, really good,” he said.
Symonds has scored just 43 runs in seven innings for Queensland since he was booted from the Australian team.