'I Really Can't Fathom It,'- Adam Gilchrist Says Of Andrew Symonds' Unexpected Death
Updated - 15 May 2022, 12:49 PM
In the wake of Andrew Symonds’ shocking death, Adam Gilchrist paid tribute to the all-rounder, characterizing him as “a great heart and soul type of man who made you happy.”
Symonds died tragically in a car accident north of Townsville on Saturday night, as per news released on Sunday morning.
Shane Warne, who died of a heart attack while on vacation in Thailand on March 5, is the second death to upset the cricketing world.
Adam Gilchrist, who had played with Symonds in many formats and considered him a good friend off the field, couldn’t believe one of his closest friends had died in such a short period.
“Anyone who knew ‘Symo’ knew what he was like; he was one of the good guys, a real heart and soul type of man who made you smile – he just lighted up the room wherever he was.”
‘He’ll be sadly missed’: Adam Gilchrist
Many cricket fans were eager to praise Symonds’ ability on the field as well as his casual and easygoing personality off it after his death was announced.
It made him a very likable figure on the team, according to Adam Gilchrist, but that shouldn’t be confused with his vast understanding of the game, which he brought to the commentary booth.
“I wouldn’t call him a practical joker,” Gilchrist added.
“I think we all recognized that he was a true work hard, play hard guy.”
“A lot of things had a lovely innocence and naivety to them.”
“He was incredibly educated about cricket, far more intelligent and articulate than most people give him credit for.”
“That was beginning to show in his analysis, in his ability to analyze the game and predict what would happen… It was incredible, and Ricky Ponting’s captaincy drew on it far more than most people realize.”
Finally, the news has left Gilchrist “a little numb” as Australia mourns the passing of another cricketing hero.
“I just can’t grasp it; the reality of this scenario still makes me feel numb,” Adam Gilchrist added.
“He was a larrikin who always saw the bright side of things.”
“A lot of things had a charming naivety and innocence to them.”
Andrew Symonds, a former Australian allrounder who represented his country in 26 Tests and 198 One-Day Internationals between 1998 and 2009, died in a car accident in Queensland.
