Former Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds passed away in a single-vehicle car crash outside Townsville in Queensland on Saturday night.
Local Police said emergency services tried to revive Symonds, but he died from his injuries after the car left the road and rolled.
Symonds’ fatal crash has come just months after the deaths of Australian greats – Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, who both died unexpectedly due to heart attacks.
Symonds’ wife Laura, who flew from Sydney to Townsville on Sunday morning with her two children (Chloe and Billy), has reacted to her husband’s sudden demise. She said: “We are still in shock – I’m just thinking of the two kids. He was such a big person, and there is just so much of him in his kids. He was the most laidback person. Nothing stressed him out. He was an extremely chilled operator. So practical. He was never good with his phone, but he always had time for everyone.”
Laura also praised the late cricketer’s commentary skills and his display of humour while explaining the sport.
“He always felt extremely self-conscious about his intellect and would say ‘I didn’t go to Uni and don’t have degrees’, but he was so practical and really intelligent in his own way. He was a great commentator. He didn’t show it on the screen, but he was really nervous sometimes. He could read plays and read players and articulate it in layman’s terms. I am not a cricket nuffy, but I could understand the game when he explained it to me. He brought humour to it, and it was not serious,” she added.
Symonds played 198 one-day internationals for his country, as well as 26 Tests and 14 T20 internationals.
He scored 5088 runs in the 50-overs format at an average of 39.75, also taking 133 wickets.
The all-rounder was a key member of Australia’s ODI teams that won back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007.
