Symonds mourned absence of ‘beer and mate’ culture in next-Gen Oz mates

SYDNEY - Controversial Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds has admitted that he has certain issues with the new young players of the national squad, due to which he is unable to gel with the young brigade.

Symonds has reportedly told his close friends that he simply cannot relate to the younger players in the team, and would be announcing his retirement from international cricket later this week.

“He did tell me that he needs to surround himself with people he can relate to. It’s part of his process. Obviously the Australian team environment no longer offers that. That is not having a go at Cricket Australia, it is just how the environment has evolved,” Symonds manager Matt Fearon said.

In the past two years several of Symonds close teammates have bid adieu to active cricket, and several youngsters have taken the responsibility on their shoulders.

The attitude of the team towards socialising has changed, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

It’s not all wrong with Symonds. He still has lot of cricket left in him as was evident in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He just needs the right environment to flourish, his friends believe.

“It’s no surprise that he played so well in the IPL this year under the stewardship of Darren Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist,” said Symmo’s former Queensland teammate, Jimmy Maher.

Maher said the main problem with Symonds is that he just can’t co-relate to his current teammates.

“Now when he mentions having a beer some of the new generation look at him like he’s from another planet. They want to run off to their rooms to have recovery and play Xbox,” he said. (ANI)