Symonds dropped from Australian World Twenty20 squad

LONDON - Australia have dropped Andrew Symonds from the Twenty20 World Cup squad after another disciplinary breach.

Cricket Australia said Thursday the decision had been taken after the controversial all-rounder broke team rules relating to alcohol and other issues.

“In isolation the breaches are not serious, but in the scheme of history, they are enough to be the final straw,” said CA chief James Sutherland.

The Queenslander has been involved in a string of off-field misdemeanours in recent years.

Symonds attended a dinner at a London hotel Wednesday night with the rest of the squad but was absent from training at The Oval Thursday.

Sutherland hinted that this latest incident could spell the end of Symonds’ 11-year international career.

“We will take the offer of a Cricket Australia contract we made to him off the table and reconsider our decision over the coming days,” he said.

Symonds, who is not part of Australia’s 16-man squad for the Ashes series, was returning to the international scene with the World Twenty20 after being out of the team for more than a year because of previous disciplinary issues.

He returned to form playing for Indian Premier League champions Deccan Chargers and was seen as a key member of the Australian squad.

He has a history of drinking-related problems, stretching back to the 2005 tour to England when he was dropped for two one-day internationals after turning up drunk to a match against Bangladesh in Cardiff.

“I feel it’s all over for Symonds. Australia have given him numerous chances, but he continues to break the rules,” he said.

In August 2008, he was sent home from Australia’s one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin after missing a compulsory team meeting.

The following month he was advised to get psychological help and attend a rehabilitation programme, overseen by Cricket Australia medical staff.

In November, he was again involved in a drunken brawl at a Brisbane hotel and had to issue an apology after he went out drinking with members of the Australian rugby league side.

And in January this year, he was fined by CA for a remark he made about New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum during a radio interview.

Symonds has played 26 Tests, 198 one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20 matches for Australia.