Cricket's bad boy? Symonds involved in a brawl, again

Melbourne: It has only taken one Test match on his return to the Australian team for Andrew Symonds to get into trouble yet again.

The 33-year-old all-rounder is reported to have gotten into a physical confrontation with a member of the public in a Brisbane pub on Sunday night.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the incident happened after Australia completed a 149-run victory over New Zealand.

Symonds was understood to have been drinking at the popular Normanby Hotel in Red Hill with several members of the Australian rugby league team when the fight commenced.

"The incident is believed to have occurred on Sunday evening, about six hours after the Australian cricket team sealed a 149-run victory over New Zealand in the first Test at the Gabba, and involved a confrontation between Symonds and a member of the public," Sydney Morning Herald wrote in its exclusive report.

Cricket Australia is conducting an investigation and unless Symonds can prove that he didn't start the fight; it could lead to another ban or even the loss of his contract.

"We are getting as much information as possible to establish what did and did not happen. We understand there was an altercation," a CA spokesman said.

The Australian all-rounder has, however, denied that he provoked any member of the public.

"A member of the public acted unreasonably towards me while I was with friends at which time I took steps to remove myself from the situation. The member of the public was subsequently removed from the premises as a result of his actions. I was sharing some drinks with other players and close friends and did not in anyway provoke this situation," Symonds said.

The troubled all-rounder has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons that even cost him his place in the national side, which toured India recently.

He had preferred fishing over a compulsory team meeting when Bangladesh was in the country for a Test series, following which he was asked to attend a rehabilitation programme under CA's insistence.

He won his place back in the side when Australia picked him for the ongoing Test tour against New Zealand.

(With inputs from PTI)