New Zealand board welcomes back ICL players

New Zealand Cricket cleared the way for fast bowler Shane Bond to return to international cricket by announcing Thursday it would reinstate players who have severed all ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League.

Chief executive Justin Vaughan said the board of New Zealand Cricket had decided it would consider for national selection any player who had broken fully with the non-sanctioned Twenty20 league.

Bond is the most high profile of the nine New Zealanders who have played in the ICL and the most likely player to quickly regain a place in the New Zealand team. The others - Daryl Tuffey, Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall, Andre Adams, Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris and Adam Parore - had either ended their international careers or were marginal selections when they joined the rebel competition.

Vaughan said Thursday that the NZC decision was "about policy rather than any player's particular circumstance" but there has been disappointment in New Zealand that Bond's international career was cut short by his ICL involvement.

The injury-prone fast bowler became ineligible for New Zealand selection last year when he joined the ICL for a reported annual salary of $750,000.

The Indian cricket board on Tuesday said it had given an amnesty to 79 players who want to sever their ties with the ICL and return to mainstream competition. Cricket boards in Pakistan and Bangladesh have also offered amnesties to players who quit the ICL.

Vaughan said Bond and medium pacer Tuffey were likely candidates for international selection.

"We understand both of these players wish to return to international cricket, which is great news for cricket in New Zealand," he said. "Like other boards around the world we have had to clarify our position on how to deal with former ICL players who wish to return to international cricket. We consider ours is a reasonable policy.

"Individual players need to make their own decisions over their future with the ICL. Today's decision is by no means a guarantee of selection for any player. All former ICL players would need to earn their way back into the national side on merit."

"There's no question that New Zealand suffered heavily from the ICL. Our national side lost a significant number of top players," he said. "New Zealand wants to have a top-ranked national team and this is very hard when you are unable to select from all your best players.”

"The earliest time former ICL players would be eligible for selection is in August, which would amount to almost 12 months since the last ICL event.”

"Taking all these factors into account the board felt there was little justification for a further stand-down period."

ICC World T20 takes centre stage

The shortest format of the game could take another step towards becoming the dominant form of the game when the second edition of the ICC World Twnety20 Championships begins at Lord's on Friday.

The ICC World Twenty20 2009 opens with England taking on rank outsiders the Netherlands - and having struggled to make an impact at the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007; the host is taking it seriously this time around.

"The realization that you are playing for a massive trophy and in a world tournament against the best means my philosophy about Twenty20 became a lot more serious," England's Kevin Pietersen said.

"It is definitely not a silly game anymore," he said referring to the remarks he made during the inaugural Twenty20 Championship in South Africa in 2007.

The format is still too callow for a dominant power, or powers to have emerged in the six years since its inception, but of the 12 teams involved in the 2009 tournament, eight have a realistic chance of victory and even Bangladesh could ruin a few reputations.

Only the three associate nations can - barring miracles - be discounted, though Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands all have the talent to spring an isolated upset.

Of the serious contenders, India is the slight favorite, by virtue of its success in the 2007 tournament and the strength of its domestic league, though a nine-run defeat to New Zealand in a warm-up game at Lord's on Monday illustrates how brittle form can be in Twenty20.

"I'm quite disappointed with the defeat but we have back-up plans and so I'm not really worried," captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Daniel Vettori was the architect of that defeat and Dhoni predicted slow bowlers, like the New Zealand captain, would be crucial during the tournament.

"Most of the sides have quality spinners in their ranks as they understand slow bowlers have a huge role to play," Dhoni said. "Spinners, I am sure, will have a bigger impact in this tournament."

New Zealand subsequently lost its next warm-up game to Australia by seven wickets on Tuesday at the Oval and Ricky Ponting's side's knack of collecting trophies makes it another of the major favorites, even if by Ponting's own admission, they have one eye on the forthcoming Ashes series.

The other leading contender is South Africa, which has unfinished business on the world stage.

"One of the boxes we still want to tick is to win a major ICC Championship," Proteas captain Graeme Smith said.

The way South Africa thrashed Pakistan by 59 runs in Nottingham on Monday suggests it might finally ditch its reputation for choking in major tournaments, but Smith added a note of caution.

"It was nice to get some momentum and form going particularly as we had not played together as a team for more than a month but the result does not mean anything in terms of winning the competition," Smith said. "(But) our first goal is to prepare properly and then to get through our two qualifying matches in our pool against Scotland and New Zealand. That is the first hurdle to clear."

The margin of that loss illustrated that Pakistan, beaten finalists in 2007, is one of a cluster of sides, along with England, West Indies and Sri Lanka, with the potential to either win the tournament or make a humiliatingly early exit.

"We are still settling down," said coach Intikhab Alam. "I wasn't really proud of our performance yesterday. It takes at least a week's preparation for a team to get attuned to the conditions but there is nothing to be worried about. I'm expecting a great deal from Younus Khan, and then we have people like Salman Butt, Misbah (ul-Haq) and Shahid Afridi who can hit the ball and are tailor-made for this kind of cricket."

Both Pakistan and England should at least make the Super 8 stage - they only need to beat the Netherlands to ensure qualification from Group A.

For West Indies and Sri Lanka the path is more difficult. West Indies was seeded below Bangladesh and drawn in Group C with the Sri Lankans and Australia.

England dangerous dark horse: Collingwood

England captain Paul Collingwood is of the opinion that his team can spring a surprise and become a dangerous dark horse in the ICC World Twenty20 2009.

Collingwood watched with delight as his trusted man Kevin Pietersen, hit an unbeaten 53 to steer England to a closely fought six-wicket win over Scotland with six balls remaining at Trent Bridge on Tuesday in a World Twenty20 warm-up.

He praised his side's attitude as well as their ability to stick to a game-plan as the start of the main event approaches.

"There are obviously areas where we could have played a little bit better, but I thought the way we knocked the runs off there and the way KP took the lead role was excellent," Collingwood added.

"The thing I was really pleased with was the way the guys stuck to the plan out there and got us over the line.

The skipper feels that although England is the host nation, the expectations of it winning the T20 crown aren’t much and this will help the boys perform without the added pressure.

“We've got a slight advantage knowing the conditions, but it's probably the other way around and there are not a lot of expectations on our shoulders. We're very much dark horses and hopefully that will give the boys a bit more of a licence.”

He added: "The belief and the freedom to go out there and express yourself is important in this form of the game so hopefully that gives the boys a bit more of a licence and they won't have as much pressure on them."

We'll be a tough team to beat: Dhoni

After last night’s victory in the final warm-up game against Pakistan, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that his side has the potential to defend their ICC World Twenty20 title and that team India will be tough contenders when the tournament gets underway from tomorrow.

The warm-up matches, which acted as a curtain raiser to the ICC World Twenty20 2009, helped all the teams acclimatize themselves to the conditions in England. It also helped them get into the groove of the tournament which will commence tomorrow.

Defending champions, India, lost its first warm-up game to New Zealand but resurrected itself in time for the final warm-up clash last night.

The Oval was witness to a sell-out crowd as India took on arch-rivals and its last years finalists, Pakistan at Lord’s on Wednesday.

The defending champions restricted Pakistan to 158-6 at the end of 20 overs after which it steamrolled the opposition, winning with three overs and nine wickets to spare.

"It was one of the best games we have played and it will be tough to replicate this performance, it was brilliant," said MS Dhoni after the game.

Rohit Sharma – who opened for the injured Virender Sehwag – was on song as he struck boundaries at will notching up 80 runs from 53 balls. His partner Gautam Gambhir was less subdued but equally effective scoring an unbeaten 52 as India maintained its unbeaten record against Pakistan in any World Cup match.

"It was important that we won this game after losing the other day so we can go into the final on form," said the proud Dhoni, who was on his maiden assignment as skipper when he led the Indian team to victory in 2007.

"It was a tough game but overall I'm happy we managed to stop them at 158. We put a lot of pressure on them, restricted their singles and we tried to put as much pressure on them as we could.”

Dhoni stressed that even though the win came at a good time for India, one bad match is enough to cause a major upset, especially once you reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

"I don't think it underlines our status as favourites though. It's not about being favourites; you have to perform like this throughout the tournament to win.”

"You can be thrown out of the tournament easily, especially at the knockout stage.”

Dhoni also silently sounded off a word of caution to the other teams in the tournament saying, "We are the side that has done well, but that's all on paper after all that you have to go and do it but we have potential and we will be a tough team to beat."

Kallis 2.0 Theroy

Kallis is a fairly tranquil fellow. In a South African television advert he jogs serenely along the beach, each stride a long, leisurely leap, like a gazelle. Or, given Kallis' size, a herd of gazelle. Think about the way he steps onto a cricket field. No hurried sprint to the middle; more of a determined march. No squirming and wriggling at the crease; just a resolute, measured approach. In many ways, he is the epitome of traditional cricket as we know it. Or so we thought.

Meet the new Kallis: a man who is not afraid to brandish his bat like a bludgeoning weapon and bang in a barrage of fearsome bouncers.

So what has changed? Perhaps the lucrative jingle of his IPL salary sounded a warning that unless he put in a better performance in the second season, he may have to say goodbye to the glamour of the tournament. Or maybe the thought of missing a second World Twenty20 tournament was what reignited the fire in his belly.

Kallis doesn't attribute the change to either. Instead, he says, it is simply "a slight mindset change" that has transformed him. His Royal Challengers Bangalore coach, Ray Jennings, agrees and says some of Kallis' new-found 20-over form stems from his time in the 2009 IPL.

"All he needed was to find his niche in 20-over cricket. I got him to relax and back himself more. I have a very good relationship with Kallis. He understands exactly what I need from him and has responded magnificently to me. I think that made some of the difference as well."

What a difference it has been. Kallis was the top scorer for Bangalore, with 361 runs at an average of 27.76. He made three fifties in the tournament, two of those at crucial stages of his team's campaign. His unbeaten 58 against Delhi Daredevils in Johannesburg kept Bangalore in the competition, and set them up for a place in the final four. That innings stood out in the mind of South Africa's chairman of selectors, Mike Procter, who said, "In that match, when I saw the way Kallis batted, I just knew he would be there at the end of the innings. Throughout the tournament he scored quickly when he needed to, and contributed some bigger scores. It's evident how much he has learnt." That new-found knowledge is what earned him a place in South Africa's World Twenty20 squad.

It has been an arduous Twenty20 journey for Kallis, who played his first match in the format in 2005, and has played only four Twenty20 internationals since then. Under most circumstances he would be a shoo-in for a national team, but his experience of Twenty20 cricket has been markedly different. He was dumped from South Africa's squad for the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, and he wasn't happy about it. In fact, he was so dissatisfied with his exclusion that he promptly resigned as vice-captain of the national team. The mini-tantrum didn't earn him any extra Twenty20 caps, though. In those four matches he notched up a paltry 43 runs.

The pressure to improve his strike-rate mounted on him like the Dirk Nannes delivery he shouldered arms to when the latter dismissed him for a duck in the IPL, and the swarm of young, athletic, quick-scoring, fast-thinking, ball-bashing cricketers was growing ever larger, threatening to keep Kallis out of South Africa's international Twenty20 set-up for good. But even that cauldron didn't prompt him to alter his game drastically. "I have never played to prove anything to anyone. I always play because I enjoy the challenge of the game."

Jennings believes Kallis' approach was correct, and that all he needed was some proper nurturing and the ability to capitalise on his experience and natural ability. "Quality players will remain quality players, no matter what, as long as they are handled properly," says Jennings. "A good team plays around its match-winners, and the important thing to realise is that Kallis is one of them. His strength is that he can bat or bowl anywhere. In fact the only weakness I can think of is that he can't keep wicket."

For Jennings, Kallis' exclusion from the national Twenty20 side was an aberration and a symptom of a flawed set-up. "Any system that can't find a place for Kallis has a problem."

But Mickey Arthur, coach of the South African team, offers an explanation, and even a justification for the omission. "In the past we didn't take 20-over cricket that seriously, and we saw it as an opportunity to rest key players," Arthur says. "So that's why Kallis rarely played. But as this format of the game has got bigger, we've started taking it more seriously, and winning games has become more important."

Does that mean there is now a permanent spot for Kallis in the national Twenty20 side? And if so, where exactly does he fit in? Jennings successfully used Kallis to open the batting, but Arthur says that may not fit in with the national side's structure. "We only have 20 overs and the challenge is to fit Kallis into that. With Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs to open the batting, he is probably best suited at No. 3."

Kallis himself doesn't seem to have too many qualms about where he bats, and the confidence Jennings spoke about comes through when Kallis speaks of his batting preferences: "I think I can bat in any position, but I have enjoyed opening." Despite the uncertainty over his position, he was used to open the batting in South Africa's warm-up match against Pakistan, where he scored 26 off 22 balls.

Arthur also sees Kallis playing a dual role for the team, and that involves being an essential part of the bowling attack. He says Kallis' bowling style can be used anywhere, depending on the composition of the attack on that particular day. "If we are going to go with a spinner or two, then we could use him to open the bowling, but if we are going with a more pace-dominated attack, then we will use him as first or second change."

Kallis displays similar self-assurance when he speaks of his bowling; he seems to have worked out his strategy for bowling in Twenty20s. "I don't mind if I bowl all my overs at once, or if my spell is broken up, but one thing I want to make sure I do is have variation. That's the only way to stay one step ahead of the batsman in 20-over cricket."

JP Duminy believes Kallis' new-found form will have positive effects on the rest of team. "He is one of the world's best, and the fact that he has made a comeback of sorts in 20-over cricket can only be a good thing. If he is performing well, that will give the team a lot of confidence going into the tournament."

Even though Kallis is enjoying being part of the Twenty20 circus, he's not going to be robbed of his unhurried pleasures just yet. He still prefers that long jog on the beach to the mad dash along the pier, and in so doing he's made no secret of where his first cricketing love lies. "I do enjoy this form of the game. However, 99% of cricketers will tell you that Test cricket is still where they want to be judged, and is still the ultimate challenge."

Why Twenty20 deserves its success

Englishmen have been playing 20-over cricket for yonks. As a youth, a hundred years ago, I turned out for various club sides in various twilight- or Sunday-morning competitions. Even by local standards, the evening leagues were somewhat social, but the Sabbath editions were combative, and the finals were held at the county ground and attended by sizeable and suitably sober crowds. No one complained about the brevity of the matches, least of all wives, veterans and youngsters - a breed whose brains cannot cope with dot balls. (As it has turned out, old-timers and teenagers still shine in these capers.)

Everyone enjoyed them; they were fun, a reminder that cricket was a game and that only life was truly serious, and that not always, for it too has its Harold Pinters and Noel Cowards. As far as recreational players were concerned, cricket had its traditions, but belonged as much to Georgian rogues as to Victorian preachers.

Although these contests were hectic, they did not shrink into parody. Nor were the exchanges mere skirmishes. Winning is winning. Cricket is cricket. By and large, the same players scored runs and took wickets, and for the same reasons - cunning, power, eye, pace, whatever. It was swift but it was recognisable. Cricket might have put on a red nose, but it was still telling a compelling story. And what else is sport except an opportunity to let off steam, pit one's skills against another, or else against a dartboard or golf course, and to take part in a drama whose outcome is unknown? At first sight it is child's play, and has always been treated as such by the constipated, but closer inspection reveals another outlet for the human journey.

Small wonder, then, that 20-over cricket took such a hold in England when the bright sparks decided to let county cricketers have a crack at it. Obliged to compete with a rampant and lucrative soccer league, cricket's mother country might have given up, but instead seized upon a local custom and dared to try it at a higher level. Notwithstanding its conservative reputation, canny ways, expense accounts and fondness for Yorkshire pudding, England has long displayed an ability to think up excellent games, and shown the mixture of respect and admiration needed to ensure that they change with the times without losing their essence. Doubtless it bemuses inhabitants of that odd land that other countries rapidly prove their superiors at these activities. Maybe England has forgotten the price that must be paid by those seeking high achievement.

And so the counties followed in the footsteps of clubs and junior sides by taking part in a 20-over competition. Although it was not long ago, no one had any idea about the public's likely response. As a precaution, only a few matches were arranged. But England had several advantages denied to other nations, not least long and glorious evenings - at the height of summer, visitors have been spotted shaking their watches as 9.30pm passes and still the sun shines - grounds located near the centre of busy towns, fondness for a convivial night out, and familiarity with this form of the game. Moreover Englishmen have always been good watchers of sport. As much can be told from the packed and mostly good-humoured Test crowds, some of them dressed in Walt-Disney outfits.

Nevertheless, even the most sanguine were taken aback by the swollen ranks of cheerful supporters that turned out for domestic matches. Far from starting slowly and gradually stoking interest, 20-over county cricket was a success from the first ball. Suddenly grounds were packed and cricketers relevant. And the players loved it. When Somerset won the trophy, their first Cup since 1983, the team was paraded around the local capital in an open-topped bus. Miserable Australians critical of India's celebrations after its Twenty20 World Cup triumph ought to have seen The Ciderman in that hour!

As far as can be told, the introduction of 20-over cricket has not ruined the game or weakened the England team. It's always tempting to blame every setback upon the latest innovation. But the problems faced by English cricket were deep-rooted, and included dubious leadership, poor coaching, callow thinking, greed and cultural decline.

I can still remember an Academy coach complaining that the indoor nets were not available from 9am, and balking at the proposal that his charges might start at dawn. On another occasion a school coach accepted that his most promising player was unfit and might therefore fall short of expectations, only to reject the suggestion of putting him through a demanding training programme. Needless to say, the boy did not make the grade, and the coach blamed everybody else.

Twenty-over cricket caught the imagination. And the cricket was not nearly as bad as had been feared. The idea that matches might be dominated by sloggers and other louts was quickly contradicted. Again, the second season of IPL told the tale. Critics called upon to choose the team of the tournament found themselves sifting through mighty Test cricketers.

Whatever problems may arise from 20-over contests have their origins in the fall of man. Alas, there is no cure for greed and selfishness. Even parliamentarians are not immune. It is folly to expect better from young and insecure sportsmen, many of them from humble backgrounds.

South Africa was the first country to recognise that England was on to something. Learning from a rival, and a former colonial ruler at that, requires humility. Despite all the furore about quotas, and the patchy commitment to change, most of it emanating from a rich elite happy to pay workers a pittance, for all the complications that inevitably attend a bloodless revolution, South African cricket has made significant strides. At times it has been fraught and it remains incomplete - replacements for Makhaya Ntini continue to prove elusive - but without strain the current team better reflects the nation at large than any predecessor, and that is an achievement. By and large, goodwill has kept anger in its place.

Needing to widen its appeal, South Africa recognised the possibilities presented by 20-over cricket. It is fast, simple, eventful, and easily understood by people unfamiliar with the game. Moreover, spectators were made welcome, with lively music, refreshments, fun and games. Cricket has often taken its crowds for granted; now it treated them with respect. Before long, 20-over cricket had made its mark. Previously roars coming from the black students in the TV room downstairs in my South African home meant that Real Madrid or Manchester United had scored. Suddenly, they might just as well indicate that Yuvraj Singh had clouted another six.

India was slow to embrace the 20-over game. Did pride block its path? Or was respect for the game an inhibition? In any event, India seemed unwilling to send a team to the first Twenty20 World Cup. Not that they were alone in their reservations. The Australians remained snooty about it for longer than required. New South Wales went so far as to include local rugby players in its team for supposedly competitive contests. States played a couple of matches and crowds came along, but the cricket community retained its hauteur. It took defeat at the hands of a coltish Zimbabwean team in the World Cup to bring Australia to its senses. Afterwards, observing the excitement, absorbing the loss, Ricky Ponting said that they were had not given this form of the game its due, and intended to correct their mistake. India did eventually send a young side to the World Cup and it promptly romped to victory.

Twenty-over cricket has been lucky, and has deserved its fortune. Recent 50-over World Cups have been tarnished by boycotts and inept organisation. Followers of the game have been insulted by high ticket charges and sterile atmospheres. Contrastingly, 20-over cricket cast itself as the people's game - long may it last.

India's triumph ensured that a vast audience was hooked. Here were dramas. Larger-than-life characters, great cricketers, tight matches and brilliant exchanges all wrapped in the same package. How could it fail? The IPL followed as India took the initiative, and it too has succeeded, not least in bring players of all sorts and nations closer together. Long may that last as well.

Of late, Indian students have been viciously attacked in Melbourne. Just as well it is happening at a time when Australians and Indian cricketers are laughing together, slapping each other's backs and playing in he same side, and not a week after the acrimonious SCG Test match (perhaps now, those responsible for that debacle will grasp its full dangers).

Now comes the second 20-over World Cup. England deserved to stage the first instalment, but that honour fell to the South Africans. Now it is England's chance. As can be deduced from the topsy-turvy results from the two IPL seasons, it is impossible to predict the outcome. Certainly it'd be risky to ignore rank outsiders like Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Whatever happens, and provided the sun shines, cricket - shamelessly adopting the cliché - will be the real winner. It is okay to laugh as well as cry, to seek amusement as well as satisfaction, a lesson known by men as wise and gifted as Mozart and Shakespeare, and not to be forgotten by a game.

Symonds' absence saddens team-mates

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."

Symonds sent home for alcohol incident

Andrew Symonds is believed to be contemplating retirement after being ordered home from the ICC World Twenty20 for an "alcohol-related incident" that has thrown Australia's tournament plans into disarray.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland announced Symonds' contract was under review, but Cricinfo understands the allrounder may jump before he is pushed. The developments come after the Australian team's leadership group - consisting of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Tim Nielsen and Steve Bernard - recommended to Cricket Australia's board that Symonds be withdrawn from the World Twenty20 for drinking while watching the State of Origin rugby league match on Wednesday morning.

While not a serious offence in isolation, Symonds' alcohol consumption contravened the conditions of a personal contract struck with Cricket Australia following a string of behavioural infractions. It is understood the terms of the contract have left Symonds feeling restricted and, according to one confidante, "no longer knowing how he can fit into the Australian team".

Ponting, speaking at a hastily convened press conference at The Oval, said Symonds had let down his employers, his teammates and himself.

"There's no doubting Andrew's capabilities as a player, but there are other things happening around him that made the decision we've come to a relatively easy one," said Ponting. "This is not wholly and solely about Andrew Symonds. This is about the Australian cricket team. We've got some young guys who are just finding out what international cricket is all about. This is about the bigger picture and bringing on the next generation of Australian players."

Though Symonds is not disputing the decision to withdraw him from the World Twenty20, he is apparently keen to tell his side of the story, and is expected to wait until he lands in Australia before speaking.

Various reports have suggested Symonds' drinking became problematic during Australia's recent limited overs tour of the UAE, and again after the Twenty20 warm-up match against New Zealand on Tuesday. But it was the "several beers" imbibed in the company of several teammates while watching the State of Origin that is believed to have prompted Australia's leadership group to act, and push Symonds' career to the brink.

Symonds attended a PCA dinner with the Australian Twenty20 squad at a Kensington hotel on Wednesday night, but was a notable absentee at Australia's training session at The Oval on Thursday. He was due to return to Australia on Thursday night, and a source close to the player told Cricinfo a retirement announcement could be imminent.

"He is feeling like a square peg in a round hole," the source said. "It got to a stage where he had to make these commitments if he wanted to be selected for Australia. He knows he has put himself in this position, but there is no doubt he is struggling with it."

Following a series of misdemeanours in the past 12 months, Symonds was on a final warning from Cricket Australia. Senior figures within CA pushed for his contract to be torn up after the "gone fishing" incident in Darwin last year, and Sutherland yesterday told reporters in Melbourne the allrounder's contract was "under review".

"Tonight we have also advised him that we will take the [contract] offer off the table at this stage," Sutherland said. "In isolation, the breaches that I am talking about are not serious, but in the scheme of things, in the scheme of history, they are enough for it to be the final straw. I'm disappointed in Andrew, but I'm also disappointed for Andrew. I'm sad about it."

Symonds has been involved in numerous off-field incidents in recent seasons, most notably a pre-match drinking session in Cardiff in 2005 which led to him being stood down from Australia's limited overs team barely an hour before a match against Bangladesh. He also missed a team meeting to go fishing during a one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin last year, which prompted team management to send him home and CA to arrange psychological counselling.

An altercation with Clarke on last year's tour of the West Indies further frayed tensions between Symonds and the team management, and a drunken radio interview in January - in which he referred to the New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendan McCullum as "a piece of s..." - resulted in him receiving a fine and further disciplinary action. Symonds apologised, having admitted that alcohol was a problematic influence in his life, and he subsequently stated that he was "entering the final chapter of his career".

Despite retaining his central contract only last month, Symonds was omitted from Australia's Ashes squad in favour of Andrew McDonald and Shane Watson. After 26 Tests and 198 ODIs dating back to November 1998, it is hard to see how his career can possibly recover from this latest episode.

Cricket Australia confirmed that they had applied to the ICC technical committee to see if a replacement for Symonds is permitted. Should their application be successful, Moises Henriques and Cameron White are the likeliest candidates for a call-up.