Andrew Symonds, who has died aged 46 following a single-car accident in North Queensland, played 26 Tests and 198 one-day internationals for Australia when they were the best team in the world at both. In any other era he would probably have doubled his tally of caps, and had he been a little more circumspect in his enthusiasm for post-match revelry might have sat alongside Keith Miller and Richie Benaud as one of his country’s greatest all-round cricketers. Instead, he had to settle for the perch just below.
An integral part of two World Cup winning teams, in 2003 and 2007, he kickstarted the first campaign with an unbeaten 143 against a strong Pakistan side. This came the day after Shane Warne had been sent home for taking a banned substance, but Symonds was undaunted.
