Legendary Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds passed away at the age of just 46, after a car accident on Saturday night. He is now the third high profile Australian cricketer who died in 2022, after Rod Marsh and Shane Warne. He had a special cricketing career with a bit of controversy in it. Symonds was an important part of the great Australian team which won the World Cups in 2003 and 2007.

Let’s look at some of the greatest moments from Andrew Symonds’ career –

Paid back the trust Ponting showed in him at the World Cup (2003)

Symonds played a massive role in Australia’s 2003 ICC World Cup win. An interesting fact is that he was not considered to play that tournament as the Aussie cricket board did not select him first up. It was Ricky Ponting who admired Symonds’s talent and realized that the all-rounder was a special player. Adam Hollioake, a former England cricketer and Symond’s good friend said in an interview about Ponting’s role behind Symond’s selection.

“I know a lot of people in Australian cricket didn’t want him to go to that World Cup but Ricky Ponting said, ‘I want him in there,” Hollioake told Wisden in an interview from 2020. “I don’t believe anyone controls Andrew Symonds. Think he does what he wants to do and that’s why you want him on your side. You couldn’t have four Andrew Symonds’ in your team but having one is fantastic – that rogue player. And that’s what Ponting saw. He just accepted that Symmo was a bit different and he could do things that other guys couldn’t do. He let him have a bit of free rein. And Symmo repaid him.”

As we mourn the loss of former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, we take a look back to his tremendous 143* against Pakistan at the 2003 World Cup.#RIPRoy pic.twitter.com/oyoH7idzkb

— ICC (@ICC) May 15, 2022

Symonds repaid Ponting’s trust indeed as he smashed an unbeaten 143 vs Pakistan at the New Wanderers. In that match, Australia was in trouble as they slipped to 86/4 before he arrived and dominated the strong Pakistan bowling attack which included the greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi.

156 in the Ashes, MCG (2006)

It was a memorable ashes series for him and Australia. Damien Martyn retired in the middle of that series which gave Symonds an opportunity to bat at number 6. In the next game, Australia were 84/5 before Symonds played a gem of counter-attacking innings of 156 from 220 balls to build a 279 runs partnership with Matthew Hayden. His celebration with Hayden after completing the hundred in that game is a special picture in Aussie cricket’s history.

162* vs India, SCG (2008)

After the famous ‘Monkey Gate’ controversy in that series, Symonds bid farewell to his test career in a good manner. India posted 532 in the first innings at SCG in the second test. Symonds arrived at the crease when his team was 134/6. He smashed an unbeaten 162 to help Australia get near India’s first innings score. It was his second and last test ton.

Highest paid overseas cricketer in first-ever IPL- Andrew Symonds

Deccan Chargers paid a massive amount of  $1.35m for his services in the first-ever IPL auction in 2008. Symonds smashed 117 off 53 balls against the champions of that season, Rajasthan Royals, who were led by Shane Warne. Next season he played an important part for that team under Adam Gilchrist’s captaincy as they went on to win the tournament in 2009.