Andrew Symonds revealed that IPL money has poisoned his relationship with Michael Clarke

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Andrew Symonds revealed the reasons behind his poisonous relationship with Michael Clarke

Andrew Symonds shed some light on his tumultuous relationship with the former Australian cricket team leader and his once very close mate, Michael Clarke.

There was a time when Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke formed a solid pair for the Australian cricket team as they flourished. Together they won many series with Clarke as the skipper of the Australian team.

At the same time, Symonds was at the end of his career and his equation with Clarke took the wrong way. It reached the point when Clarke sent Symonds back from the one-day series for skipping a team meeting and going fishing instead.

The former Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds shed some light that why his relationship with the former Australian cricket team leader and his once very close mate, Michael Clarke has become tumultuous.

The 46-year-old criticized their leadership style of Clarke back in 2015 and the ex-Australian captain alleged that the former cricketer once turned up drunk to play an ODI in 2008. The bickering between the two was intense.

“Andrew Symonds went on TV to criticize 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, Symonds claimed that their friendship took the wrong turn when he started to get a good salary in the IPL. In the inaugural season of IPL 2008, Symonds was the most expensive overseas player after being picked up 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.”

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