Symonds blasts anti-booze contract

Looking back at his tumultuous career,Symonds said he had stopped enjoying the game and was in fact relieved when Cricket Australia tore up his contract.

8220;Losing my contract didn8217;t hurt me,because of what playing for Australia had become. I wasn8217;t having fun anymore.

I wasn8217;t enjoying it. I felt like I was in a cage. Always under the microscope. Once I had got home from England,and everything had settled down,it was a relief,8221; he said.

Here to play for Surrey,the burly all-rounder with a recurring alcohol problem said he doesn8217;t regret anything other than signing a contract that barred him from drinking.

8220;If I had my time again I would have said,8217;You know what? There is no way I8217;m signing that.8217; No one else had to do it. And let8217;s be honest,under that sort of scrutiny I was always going to bust at some stage,8221; he said.

It was around this time last year that Symonds was sent back midway through the Twenty20 World Cup after going out for a drink. On landing back home,Symonds found himself without a contract but instead of being upset,he felt relieved.

8220;I was diagnosed as a binge-drinker. With all the things that went with international cricket there was never enough time for myself. So when I got my day off,I would just guzzle it,guzzle it like they weren8217;t making it anymore,just binge.

It was not smart,8221; he said.

8220;I8217;m passionate about cricket,but it is not the be all and end all of my life. To me life is about fun. You have got to make a living,but not every day is about work. My life became difficult to lead.

8220;With the amount of things I had on my plate 8211; cricket,sponsors,media 8211; I just ended up having no time for myself.

And that8217;s what wore me down. When I got my chance to have a drink I would let nothing get in the way of it,8221; he added.

Symonds also claimed he was not to be blamed for the bar brawls he often featured in.

8220;People knew they could target me. Whatever I did and wherever I went I felt there was a chance that someone was going to try and push my buttons. In the end I just couldn8217;t go to the pub,8221; he recalled.

Symonds,who turned freelancer after that and plays in the Indian Premier League,said he is a happier person now.

8220;Mate,my life right now is just A1. Just great. My mates back home ask me what I8217;m doing now,and I8217;m like: 8216;Well,I8217;m just going to London to play cricket for a few weeks.8217; They say: 8216;What will you do when you come back?8217; 8216;I8217;ll probably go fishing for a couple of months.8217; They can8217;t believe it,8221; he says.