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USMNT and Nottingham Forest star Matt Turner has spoken out after the Premier League club were docked four points leaving them in the relegation zone.

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Nottingham Forest docked four pointsBreached Profitability and Sustainability rulesTurner says Forest must "take it on the chin"Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

The Premier League have announced that Nottingham Forest will be docked four points due to breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules. The deduction drops the club into 18th place in the league table, one point behind Luton Town.

AdvertisementWHAT TURNER SAID

Speaking to the media, Turner has reacted to the news: "The points deduction, we have to take it on the chin and keep moving forward. Points deduction aside, we've been our own worst enemies in a lot of ways this entire season. We have all of it in our control. Some of the games that we have coming up are teams around us. If we can control those games and get back some wins, then hopefully the point deduction shouldn't really matter. Hopefully, we can, like I said, take it on the chin, stick together and keep moving forward."

Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The American goalkeeper joined the club earlier in the season after leaving his role as backup keeper at Arsenal. The 29-year-old goalkeeper has struggled, making high-profile mistakes in several games, so much so that the club signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg in the January window. Turner has made his way back into Nuno Espirito Santo's starting lineup and will hope to play a pivotal part in their attempt to beat relegation to the Championship.

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WHAT NEXT FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST?

The club are expected to appeal the points deduction, particularly having seen Everton see a 10-point deduction reduced to six on appeal. Nottingham Forest have two weeks to file a formal appeal to the Premier League.

Celtic, barring a recent slip-up against Kilmarnock, have remained on course to win their third consecutive Scottish Premiership and their first since the return of Brendan Rodgers. Some at Celtic Park may have been fearing the beginning of their side's capitulation following their recent league defeat, but a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League has put an end to any concerns.

As things stand, the Hoops sit five points clear of Rangers, having played one more game. With the title still very much in the balance, Celtic may turn to the January transfer window to fix any glaring issues in Rodgers' squad. And that could see one specific winter target arrive.

Celtic transfer news

The exits of Ange Postecoglou and Jota stole the headlines in Scotland this summer before Celtic reacted by welcoming Rodgers back with open arms. The former Leicester City boss instantly hit the ground running too, creating some breathing room at the top of the league. As we head into the second half of the campaign, however, Rodgers arguably has some issues to address – ones that the transfer window could solve. When the winter window swings open, the Scottish champions could act once more.

According to The Daily Mail's Stephen McGowan, there's a strong possibility that Celtic sign Estoril left-back Tiago Araujo. McGowan told PLZ:

"Tiago Araujo is a very strong possibility for Celtic in January. I suspect that is one that might happen."

It's no surprise that Celtic are looking to add defensive solidity to their side in January, given their firepower at the other end will be missing due to Kyogo Furuhashi potentially missing up to a month whilst playing for Japan at the Asia Cup. Given that Rangers could be as little as two points adrift of Celtic if they win their game in hand, Rodgers will want to ensure that his side remain solid in the Scottish Premiership – something that Araujo may help with.

Araujo would be an "instant upgrade"

Still, only 22 years old, Araujo is on the up and likely to get even better to potentially hand Rodgers an ideal upgrade. Araujo's stats show that he's already keeping up with current Celtic left-back Greg Taylor's stats in some areas, which could leave him in good stead if he secures a January move to Scotland's top-flight.

Player

Expected Assists

Take-on Success

Total Duels Won Per Game

Ball Recoveries Per Game

Tiago Araujo

0.90

40%

3.5

5.6

Greg Taylor

0.57

37%

4

5.8

Araujo's impressive numbers make the praise that he has received no surprise, with Celtic Way writer Stewart Ross describing in his scout report, via X:

It certainly seems as though the "flamboyant" left-back – as he was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could be an ideal addition to Rodgers' side in January and as the window swings open, we may well see the deal take place if McGowan's claim proves accurate.

Aston Villa have made an excellent start to the campaign and are now looking ahead to next summer, with an ambitious transfer pursuit reportedly lined up.

Aston Villa continue to exceed expectation…

Incredibly, Aston Villa marked their transformation since being relegation conteders in the first half of last campaign by defeating Tottenham Hotspur in N17 last weekend, which has placed the Villans fourth in the Premier League table with 28 points from 13 matched played.

Sitting two points off the top of the pile, there is optimism growing in the West Midlands that Unai Emery's men could look to mount a challenge for Champions League qualification, with some even talking about a potential push to try and win the English top-flight title.

One man who has come in for hefty praise after his weekend heroic is Villans goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who pulled off some fantastic saves against Ange Postecoglou's men, giving his side a platform to claim three points on the day.

Speaking to BBC Sport, former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic lavished praise on the Argentina international's contribution in conversation with BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily, stating: "He can rub people the wrong way but his performances speak for themselves."

"He’s been really solid and taken his game to a new level. He really kept his team in the game and made some big saves [against Tottenham] at crucial times, which is what top goalkeepers do."

Far from the only player to play a heavy role in Aston Villa's success this term, Martinez and company will hope they can keep up the good work when Legia Warsaw come to town in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.

Aston Villa fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Europa Conference League

Legia Warsaw (H)

Villa Park

Premier League

Bournemouth (A)

Vitality Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (H)

Villa Park

Premier League

Arsenal (H)

Villa Park

Europa Conference League

Zrinjski Mostar (A)

Stadion pod Bijelim brijegom

Turning their attention to the market, Aston Villa now look to have a marquee pursuit lined up; however, they will have to wait until the summer to try and entice the man in question to Villa Park.

Aston Villa want Kieran Tierney

According to FootballTransfers, Aston Villa are keen to try and sign Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney next summer after previously holding admiration toward his talents earlier this year, once he returns from his loan spell at Real Sociedad.

Mikel Arteta is believed to want him back at the Emirates Stadium for the 2024/25 campaign. At the same time, Real Sociedad are keen to make his move permanent, which is not something Arsenal are believed to be opposed to either come 2024.

Tierney, who has previously been labelled a "warrior" by Ashley Cole, has made five appearances for the La Liga outfit this term in all competitions amid a littany of injury issues in the Basque Country (Tierney statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, the Scotland international carries a wealth of Premier League experience and plenty of trophy winning nous from his time at Celtic, making him an appealing option to potentially add to the left-back slot for Aston Villa.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news: Unai eyes £40m deal; Saudi club want star

It’s a huge summer for Aston Villa and Unai Emery as they prepare for the Champions League.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 11, 2024

Liverpool return to Europa League football this evening as Jurgen Klopp's side look to maintain their perfect continental record this season with victory in France against Toulouse.

While the Reds have been impressive this season following a drastic summer rebuild in midfield, last week's disappointing draw away to Luton Town reminded supporters that this is a squad still in construction.

Nonetheless, Liverpool are third in the Premier League and just three points behind imperious table-toppers Manchester City, who welcome the Merseyside outfit to the Etihad Stadium later this month.

And a win tonight could all but confirm the English side's first-place finish in Group E, enabling further rotation across the final two games of the group stage.

Liverpool team news vs Toulouse

Klopp is forced to contend with a spate of injuries and absences ahead of the trip to the Stadium de Toulouse, with captain Virgil van Dijk not travelling due to illness and midfielders Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch both missing out due to respective setbacks.

This shouldn't be too big a concern for the German manager, however, with heavy rotation expected to combat the relentless schedule; Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez should both be benched.

On a more sombre note, Andy Robertson and Spanish midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara remain sidelined, with the trio not expected to return to competitive action any time soon.

Harvey Elliott's statistics this season

Given the multitude of midfield absences, it's almost certain that Harvey Elliott will find his name back on the starting teamsheet, though the 20-year-old would probably have received a starting berth regardless.

After playing such an important role last season, making 46 appearances, Elliott has been pushed further toward the periphery following the summer additions and has only played one Premier League match from the outset.

Despite this, he has showcased his qualities terrifically and is starting to combine the cogs, having produced the looping assist for Luis Diaz's late equaliser at Kenilworth Road and played every minute of Liverpool's European campaign so far.

As per FBref, the £40k-per-week ace ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 11% for progressive passes and blocks and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90.

His playmaking prowess will be crucial against Toulouse, and could boost the exploits of exciting teenage talent Ben Doak ahead of him, who will perhaps earn a start with Salah probably moving to the bench.

Why Ben Doak must start vs Toulouse

The obvious factor behind Doak's potential role from the opening whistle is Salah's need for rest, but, more to the point, the Scottish 17-year-old has belied his tender years to make three appearances this season and has already started in the Europa League, playing 61 minutes against LASK.

Described as a "prodigy” by reporter Keifer MacDonald, Doak is diminutive in stature – 5 foot 8 – but capable of running at breakneck speed and possesses deceptive strength and a deft weaving motion that is courtesy of his low centre of gravity.

Doak's electric presence down the right flank could cause all sorts of problems for the French opposition and could be nicely charged by Elliott's creative support behind.

Having been hailed for his "explosive" presence by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Doak is a frightening prospect and Klopp clearly values him highly, eager to provide him with opportunities to continue his integration into the first team.

Liverpool are in a good position and can afford to make rotations in this manner at this stage, but Doak is not just a number and could truly announce himself to the major stage with a convincing performance tonight.

Highlights of the first round of the Ranji Trophy’s Super League and Plate matches

Sidharth Monga07-Nov-2008
Rohit Sharma scored a fluent third first-class century © PA Photos
Show ’em what they are missing
Had Ranji Trophy cricket been followed in India, this one would have been an equivalent of Wayne Rooney wanting badly to score against Everton. Only that Yere Goud did score a century against Karnataka, that too in his first match against his team from last season. But only a handful watched Goud score a patient 122 not out to help Railways, the team he had left to join Karnataka for an acrimonious one-season stay, gain three points from a first-innings lead over Karnataka.It was a good old-fashioned Ranji innings where you realise the opposition has scored enough to rule out an outright win [Karnataka had scored 365 in more than one-and-a-half days], and you turn it into a one-innings match. Goud found a suitable partner in Sanjay Bangar, the Railways captain: for the fifth wicket they added 75 in 28.3 overs. The partnership ended in a mix-up when Bangar wanted a third, but Goud didn’t. Goud tried to sacrifice his wicket, but was too late, and that denied Bangar a century. Goud, though, took out his anger on Sunil Joshi, hitting him for three sixes in quick time. Then remembering his tag as a stonewaller, he went back to grafting, and made sure Railways recovered from 185 for 5 to 389 all out.A happy divorce
Abhinav Mukund and M Vijay came together as an opening partnership mid-way of last season, and their first association yielded 256 runs against Saurashtra. Vijay got 230 not out then, and Mukund 120 – on debut. In the first match of this season, though, they raised the bar and went for a bigger run-feast. For 107.4 overs, an inexperienced Maharashstra attack struggled for a wicket, as the right-left combination went on accumulating runs. They ended the first day at 377 for 0, needing 88 more to break the record for the highest opening partnership in the Ranji Trophy, previously held by Raman Lamba and Ravi Sehgal.They could get only 86 before Vijay was caught at the wicket off Harshad Khadiwale, but better news awaited both the openers. Mukund went on and score the first triple-century of the season, and Vijay left the match mid-way because an India cap awaited him in Nagpur. Neither will mind the separation.Enamul Haque jnr, Maharashtra’s overseas import, bowled 31 wicketless overs for 171 runs.A timely nudge
This is an important season for the young hopefuls in Indian cricket, because already two of the senior Test players have retired. Keeping that in mind, Rohit Sharma scored a timely century – in one session, against Rajasthan – to add to his impressive century against the Australians in Hyderabad, earlier this year. As Mumbai looked to capitalise on a 103-run first-innings lead, Rohit made the setting of the target easier with a typically fluent third first-class century. His 128 took 140 deliveries, and 94 of those came in 22 fours and one six. As a result of the innings, Mumbai had enough time to bowl Rajasthan out in the second innings, and gain five points.In the same match, Dhawal Kulkarni, who came into spotlight through his IPL performances for the Mumbai Indians, made a solid Ranji debut, becoming only the seventh Mumbai player to take a five-for on debut. “Earlier I used to just run and bowl and even the pace was less. But Mumbai Cricket Association sent me to Brisbane for a camp and once I came back I was a changed bowler. My technique was right I developed more strength and my pace was increased,” he said, and went on to take four more wickets in the second innings to show his gratitude to the team.The comeback
Figures of 34-10-101-2 and 5-2-6-0 do not sound sensational at all, but in the scenario of the Delhi-Punjab match they were significant. For these were Ashish Nehra’s returns, on his first-class comeback after he missed the entire last season. Moreover, the first-innings figures don’t do justice to how Nehra bowled.In his first spell, he got the ball to consistently move away from the left-hand opening batsmen. However, luck deserted him for the first seven overs, during which he kept beating both Karan Goel and Ravi Inder Singh. In the third over of the day, Nehra made Ravi Inder play and miss at three successive deliveries. He finally got his breakthrough in the seventh over of the innings, when Ravi Inder played all over a straight and fast delivery. He then came back for a testing spell later in the day. It was a pleasing throwback: Nehra, his shirt not tucked in, animated, never far away from throwing frustrated tantrums. More pleasing was his perseverance, and one hopes the same is the case throughout the season.The no-show
Playing his first first-class match for Punjab in more than three seasons, Yuvraj Singh didn’t have a favourable outing. With the anticipation around him, he walked in to bat against Delhi minutes before lunch on the first day. He got a bouncer first up from Pradeep Sangwan, which he easily ducked under. That was followed up by five accurate deliveries, the last of which he played at, and guided to Shikhar Dhawan at first slip. On day that eight catches fell short of the slips, Yuvraj’s hard hands made sure that was not an issue when he edged. In the second innings, Yuvraj scored 38 off 44, but by then Punjab had conceded the first-innings lead.The trivia
Abhinav Kumar, the wicketkeeper playing his fifth first-class match, became the first Hyderabad player, and 11th overall, to be stranded on 99 in a Ranji Trophy match, as his team went from 283 for 7 to 296 all out. But his 99 not out proved crucial in Hyderabad’s gaining a first-innings lead over Orissa, and with that three points.Shane Warne’s boys’ corner
In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals was full of Cinderellas, who Warne bound together into a match-winning unit. Cricinfo will keep an eye on those relatively unknown players, and see how they do in their first first-class season after a successful IPL season.Swapnil Asnodkar scored 191 against Kerala, at a whopping strike-rate of 47.04. But Goa managed only one point from the match, as Kerala scored 486 in reply to Goa’s 460.Siddharth Trivedi took 5 for 44 and 2 for 42, including five wickets in the first 34 balls he bowled, to first reduce Saurashtra to 12 for 5, and then push them to an innings defeat. This was some effort by Gujarat, who played in the Plate League last year, to smash the Super League semi-finalists.

The South African allrounder was roped in due to the BPL dates clashing with the BBL – where Vettori has a long-term contract with Brisbane Heat

Mohammad Isam06-Sep-2018Lance Klusener has been appointed the head coach of the Rajshahi Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, after Daniel Vettori pulled out due to the tournament moving from November to January.Vettori, who was appointed in March this year, will be busy in January with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, which will run from December 19, 2018 to February 17, 2019. The BPL is rescheduled for a January 5 start, and will end sometime in mid-February.”Vettori signed the contract with Rajshahi Kings on the condition that he would not be available if the timing of the BPL coincided with Big Bash League, as his involvement with his Big Bash team was with a long-term contract,” said Kings CEO Tahmeed Huq.Klusener, who was recently appointed consultant coach of Indian domestic side Delhi, will be in his first coaching stint in Bangladesh. He has previously been Zimbabwe’s batting coach, after having started his coaching career in 2012 for the Dolphins in South Africa’s domestic competition. He also had a short stint with South Africa’s senior side in 2015, and with Mumbai Indians in the IPL in 2011.Back in 2010, Klusener turned down the job for Bangladesh’s bowling coach, which eventually went to Champaka Ramanayake.

Julian Nagelsmann is on Borussia Dortmund's shortlist should they part ways with Edin Terzic, adding to a long list of suitors for the German manager.

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Dortmund considering Nagelsmann as Terzic replacementMan Utd, Newcastle also interested in hiringGermany boss not guaranteed contract beyond Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The German manager is expected to be on the market this summer, after overseeing the national team at Euro 2024. His next job, though, has been a topic of debate, and Dortmund have now entered the race, according to .

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT JULIAN NAGELSMANN SAID

In an interview with , the Germany manager spoke openly on his sudden sacking from Bayern Munich last March. "I was signed by Bayern with the proviso that I would change things,” he said. “There are clubs that give you time. Jürgen Klopp was at Liverpool for five years before he became champion there for the first time. Pep Guardiola only won the Champions League title with Manchester City after seven years. The coaches at Bayern Munich don’t get as much time to develop something."

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Man Utd are yet to make a clear decision on the future of Erik ten Hag, but the former Ajax boss is in the hot seat after Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a partial takeover of the club. Terzic's job, too, is under scrutiny, with Dortmund currently fourth in the Bundesliga.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JULIAN NAGELSMANN?

Nagelsmann's future seems to be up in the air, with a handful ofclubs chasing his hiring. His immediate focus will be the German national side, with friendlies against France and the Netherlands scheduled for the international break.

Tom Westley moved Essex closer to the next stage but Sussex have found no immediate benefit from the return from IPL of Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2018
ScorecardEssex are still in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup after they chased a target of 282 to beat Sussex by four wickets at Eastbourne.Victory over Kent on Wednesday in a day-night game at Chelmsford could be enough, although they may need other results to go their way.The architect of their victory was Tom Westley who continued his impressive form with his fourth half-century in this season’s competition.He had some luck along the way. Chris Jordan put down a difficult chance at slip when he had scored one and he was also dropped on 68 at long off by David Wiese, also off Danny Briggs.The 29-year-old made the most of those reprieves with 88 from 89 balls including five fours and two sixes, adding 84 with Dan Lawrence to take Essex to within 35 runs of victory.There was a wobble when Westley was unnecessarily run out after being sent back by Lawrence when he was halfway down the pitch and Jofra Archer bowled Lawrence for 36 later in the same over. Ravi Bopara was pinned by David Wiese but by then Essex were only six runs short of their target which they reached with 12 balls to spare.Earlier, Laurie Evans had held Sussex’s innings together with an unbeaten 107 – his second List A hundred. The Sharks were in trouble on 46 for 3 in the 11th over when he joined Harry Finch to put on 113 in 22.5 overs.Against generally accurate Essex bowling it was never easy for the pair to accelerate on a slow wicket and they were forced to rebuild again when three wickets fell for six runs, including Finch for 56 who was stumped by Wheater off a wide, the first of two wickets in successive balls for Zaidi who then deceived Michael Burgess with an arm ball.Sussex were 174 for 6 with ten overs to go, but Evans found excellent support from Jordan and Archer as 107 were plundered off the last ten overs.Jordan made 35 at a run a ball before Archer hit out spectacularly with 33 from 15 balls including three sixes and two fours to the delight of a crowd of more than 4,000.Evans reached his century in the final over when he belted Sam Cole to the mid-off boundary for his eighth four. He also hit two sixes and faced 117 balls.Wheater and Varun Chopra gave Essex’s reply a good foundation with 86 in 14 overs before Jordan pinned Chopra for 33. Wheater looked in good touch, hitting eight boundaries in his 60 off 62 balls and it was a surprise when he missed a reverse sweep at Briggs.Archer had Zaidi caught behind in the 38th over but Essex were well ahead of the required rate by then and on their way to an important victory.

Manchester United sensation Kobbie Mainoo has talked up his relationship with fellow youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.

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Mainoo enjoying breakout season at UnitedStarring alongside "boys" Garnacho and HojlundHopes photo on advertising boards becomes "iconic"WHAT HAPPENED?

The 18-year-old is enjoying a stellar, breakout season at Old Trafford, emerging as one of United's most promising prospects in midfield. Mainoo has steadily become a mainstay in Erik ten Hag's side alongside fellow academy graduate Garnacho and summer signing Hojlund. The trio's special relationship on the pitch was epitomised by a picture of them celebrating on the Old Trafford advertising boards during the 3-0 victory over West Ham earlier this month – a photo Mainoo hopes becomes "iconic".

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MAINOO SAID

Maino told United's official website about that photo: "Yeah, I kind of understand [the reaction]. I mean, three young players with I believe bright futures and so hopefully it can go on to be an iconic picture and hopefully we can do great things for the club.”

Asked about his relationship with the attacking duo, the Englishman added: "Yeah, they're my boys, man. Obviously we're all young, so we're always together. We're always talking and stuff like that. I've known Garna a while now from the Academy. We came off the bench against City [for our Under-18s debuts]. That was back when he didn't speak any English so we didn't really know him that well, but we have grown a great relationship, all three of us, so hopefully it can stay that way for the future.”

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Despite an ankle injury ruling him out until October, Mainoo has featured prominently under Ten Hag this season. The young midfielder has 12 appearances in the league – all of which have come as a starter – while also playing the full 90 minutes in both FA Cup fixtures to date. Beyond his two goals Mainoo has impressed with his composure and confidence at such a young age. His ability to link up play and cope under pressure has seen calls for him to be selected by England boss Gareth Southgate in March.

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(C)GettyImagesDID YOU KNOW?

That camp, which features friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, will be Mainoo's last chance to be reintegrated into the Three Lions set-up before the upcoming European Championships. Despite representing England at youth level, Mainoo has reportedly already been approached by Ghana over switching his international allegiance.

Cricinfo’s timeline of Andrew Symonds’ controversial moments

Cricinfo staff24-Nov-2008
Oops, I did it again … © Getty Images
June 2005
Turns up drunk to the one-day match against Bangladesh in Cardiff and after Australia lose he is banned for two matches. In Roy, Going for Broke he said: “I was also told in the clearest possible terms that any further misdemeanours would see me sent packing. For good.”March 2006
Asks a Super14 rugby player to “take it outside” while at a nightclub during Australia’s tour of South Africa. “I was on my way out of the VIP area when Pup [Michael Clarke] zoomed in to steer me away and calm things down,” Symonds said.2007 World Cup
In the Caribbean there’s an attempt to set Symonds up. “I walked out of a nightspot and a bloke ran across the car park and slapped me in the face as we were walking into a taxi,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “He had a bloke with a camera behind him. You get to a point where you work very hard to achieve something and when you look at it, you’ve got so much to lose if you make a bad mistake. You have to spare a thought – stop, and have a think – every now and then to try and prevent problems.”January 2008
Is the victim of an alleged “monkey” sledge from Harbhajan Singh at the SCG that turns into the biggest incident of the summer. Harbhajan escaped suspension on appeal and the fall-out, intense glare and feelings of being let down by Cricket Australia contributed to his problems over the past four months.August 2008
Goes fishing in Darwin instead of attending a team meeting and is sent home before the one-day series against Bangladesh. He undergoes rehabilitation, which includes psychiatric help, and later admits he drank too much at times in the lead-up to the suspension.November 2008
After apologising to his team-mates and undergoing a “welfare programme”, he comes back into the side for the first Test against New Zealand. At the end of the match he goes to a Brisbane hotel where he claims he was provoked by a member of the public. He is back at the team accommodation by 9.30pm.January 2009
On the mend from knee surgery, Symonds calls Brendon McCullum a “lump of s…” during a radio interview on a show known for its light-hearted nature. Symonds was referring to McCullum’s signing for New South Wales to play in a domestic Twenty20 final when he made the comment.Symonds publicly apologised and was fined A$4000 at a Cricket Australia hearing. His international career was left in doubt when Cricket Australia’s directors ruled that he should be stood down from the tour of South Africa, resulting in him missing a second straight overseas tour.June 2009
Although overlooked for the Ashes, Symonds’ powerful strokeplay was deemed an asset for the ICC World Twenty20 and he was given a final opportunity to prove himself. Instead he was disciplined on the eve of the tournament for another “alcohol-related issue” and sent home to Australia after an episode described by Cricket Australia’s CEO James Sutherland as “the final straw”.