Monkeygate scandal attributed to Symonds' mental state

Melbourne, Sep 4 : Andrew Symonds' turbulent mindset is now being attributed to the Monkeygate scandal during the controversial home series against India.

The seeds of Symonds's discontent against Cricket Australia (CA) were sown long before the Northern Territory fishing expedition during his face-off with Harbhajan Singh that threatened to split the cricketing world.

Symonds was terribly upset with CA after he and his teammates were asked to downgrade charge of racial abuse to verbal abuse against Harbhajan Singh.

Symonds has not forgiven CA for what transpired in an Adelaide federal courtroom eight months ago. Symonds and three teammates were convinced by CA to downgrade a charge of racial abuse against Harbhajan - a ploy the Australian players were advised would help ensure a lengthy suspension after the Monkeygate scandal, but one which eventually resulted in Harbhajan escaping sanction altogether, according to a report in Sydney Morning Herald Thursday.

Harbahjan's reprieve infuriated Symonds, who felt abandoned by administrators. He felt they were more interested in kow-towing to the influential Indian board than protecting their own, sources in the Australian team said.

Sources say Symonds has refused all of CA's subsequent attempts to appease him, and the lingering resentment has fuelled his deteriorating attitude to work.

There is grave concern over the mindset in which he will return.

Ripples of discontent at Symonds's wavering commitment have surfaced on occasion this year, but it was not until Darwin that the issue came to a head. Australian players and officials were alarmed when Symonds arranged to have his fishing boat trucked from Queensland to Darwin before the three-match one-day series against Bangladesh.

--IANS