Andrew Symonds reveals how ‘IPL money’ soured his relationship with Michael Clarke
Andrew Symonds reveals how ‘IPL money’ soured his relationship with Michael Clarke
When they thrived, Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke emerged as formidable force for the Australian cricket team. Together the duo won many series as Clarke went on to become the Australia skipper.
Simultaneously Symonds was at the twilight of his career and somehow his equation with Clarke fell apart. The situation reached a point when then interim captain Clarke sent Symonds back from a one-day series for skipping a team meeting and instead going to fishing.
While Andrew Symonds, a hard-hitting allrounder, criticised Clarke's leadership in 2015, the ex-Australia captain alleged that the former had once turned up drunk to play an ODI in 2008. The row between the two was that severe.
"Andrew Symonds went on TV to criticise my leadership. I'm sorry, but he is not a person to judge anyone on leadership," Clarke wrote in his 2015 Ashes Diary. "This is a guy who turned up drunk to play for his country. It's pretty rich for him to be throwing rocks."
Now, talking on The Brett Lee Podcast, the all-rounder said that their friendship went sour after he got a good salary in the IPL. In the inaugural 2008 edition, Symonds became the most expensive overseas player as he was picked by Deccan Chargers for INR 5.4 crore.
"We became close. When he (Clarke) came into the side I used to bat with him a lot. So, when he came into the side I really looked after him. That built a bond," Symonds told Lee on the 49th minute of the hour-long podcast.
"Matthew Hayden said to me — when the IPL started, I got a pretty penny to go and play in the IPL — he identified it as there was a bit of jealousy that potentially came into the relationship (with Clarke) there.
"I guess Money does funny things. It's a good thing but it can be a poison and I reckon it may have poisoned our relationship. I've got enough respect for him to probably not go into detail about what was said.
"My friendship with him is no longer and I'm comfortable with that, but I'm not gonna sit here and start slinging mud."