Symonds should show more respect and return to play for Oz: Warne

Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has said that all-rounder Andrew Symonds should not prematurely end his international career, and think hard about showing a little more respect for what the Australian team stands for.

Melbourne, Sept.15 : Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has said that all-rounder Andrew Symonds should not prematurely end his international career, and think hard about showing a little more respect for what the Australian team stands for.

Accusing Symonds of letting down his teammates badly, particularly his one-time best mate Michael Clarke, Warne said about the fishing trip incident: "I would have thought that if Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke were good friends, then Symo would have more respect for Michael Clarke than that."

"I think it's disappointing that he put a young captain like Michael Clarke in that position. It was disappointing from Symo, especially with the Australian team not having senior players like Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden there. It's not a one-off thing, and I just think Symo has showed a lack of respect," the Herald Sun quoted Warne, as saying further.

Clarke, who captained the side during the series, was a member of the leadership group that was forced to order Symonds home when he chose to go fishing rather than attend a team meeting.

Symonds will see sports psychologist Phil Jauncey this week to decide on his playing future. Left out of the touring party for India, Symonds would have to return to playing with Queensland in the Sheffield Shield, if he decides to play on.

Symonds has been at loggerheads with his employers at Cricket Australia since he felt he was treated shabbily during the Harbhajan Singh race row last summer. Symonds was furious when CA backflipped on the matter and Harbhajan was let off with a slap on the wrist.

Some feel Symonds could walk away from cricket in Australia and chase the riches of the Indian Premier League.

But Warne insisted the only way Symonds would rebuild respect among his Australian teammates was to return as a "better person" and win back his baggy green cap.

"I would be disappointed if he took the easy option and just threw it away," Warne said.

"The hard option and the option that will satisfy him and earn him some respect is to come back a better person and show how important playing for Australia is to him," he said.

ANI