Australia's cricketers have conceded Andrew Symonds' absence will be difficult to compensate for during the World Twenty20. Symonds was withdrawn from the tournament on Thursday following an alcohol-related incident, forcing Australia into a major tactical and selectorial overhaul less than 48 hours before their opening match against West Indies.Symonds is among Australia's most seasoned limited-overs cricketers, and he played a significant role in the closing stages of the IPL to guide Deccan Chargers to the title. His explosive middle-order batting, darting spinners and athletic fielding were integral to Australia's World Twenty20 plans and, according to Michael Hussey, will be difficult to replace.
"It certainly is a big loss," Hussey said. "With Twenty20 cricket you've got to be really flexible with your batting order anyway, and probably with Andrew Symonds in the team we were a little bit more structured because he plays that role very very well. Now we're going to have to be even more flexible and try and go with the flow of the game.
"It's a real shame, really, because he is a great player and a great mate of mine. It's unfortunate and we've got to move on, we've got to concentrate on the cricket, our preparation and making sure we are 100% ready for West Indies on Saturday. We can't afford to let it affect our preparation. It is definitely a loss for us but we've got other very, very capable players to come in and fill the breach and hopefully we can put in a good performance."
Despite Symonds' repeated behavioural infractions, which have often left the Australians at a loose end in important series, Brett Lee insisted he still had the support of his national team-mates. Lee described Symonds as "the world's greatest guy" and felt he was losing "a great mate on tour".
"To lose a player of his calibre definitely is a big hole in the Australian cricket team so it is disappointing and we hope Andrew can be back shortly," Lee said. "We have to move on now, it's as simple as that. It's very disappointing that Andrew's going home but we'll try to find a way to try and fill that gap. He's a world-class player and to leave a gap like that is not great for the Australian cricket team but we always find a way, if someone gets injured or if someone goes out of the side, to fill that void.
"We are here to focus on cricket. What's happened with Andrew is a very personal blow for him and we'll be as mates sticking by him and making sure that we're giving our best advice and the help he needs."
Nathan Bracken was hopeful Symonds' latest alcohol-related controversy would not force him out of the game. "To say it's the end of his career is a big call," Bracken said. "We enjoy having him around and we hope he will be back shortly."
Like Hussey, Brad Haddin conceded Symonds' absence could upset the balance of Australia's Twenty20 squad. "Obviously Andrew Symonds is a big part of our team," he said. "He was a quality player with a big role to play in our side. It will change the balance of the team, but the beauty of our squad is that we have the players to cover for that."
