'There was bit of jealousy': Symonds blames 'big IPL paycheck' for fallout with Clarke

Former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds has spoken up about his feud with ex-teammate Michael Clarke and what may have contributed to the breakup of their friendship. During an appearance on the Brett Lee Podcast, Symonds suggested that his huge paycheck in the Indian Premier League (IPL) could have been a factor in his rift with Clarke.

According to Symonds, Clarke might have grown jealous over the large sum of money he received in the first edition of the IPL, adding that it may have led to the end of their years-long friendship.

"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. 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," Symonds was quoted as saying to Brett Lee on the Brett Lee Podcast. 

"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," Symonds added. 

Symonds was bought for $1.8 million by Deccan Chargers ahead of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He was one of the most expensive players amongst the overseas cricketers given his three dimensional ability. Symonds was an excellent batter, a handy bowler and an extraordinary fielder. All-rounders usually bag huge sums in the IPL auction due to their ability to impact the game through all the three departments of the game. 

What happened between Symonds and Clarke? 

The rift between Symonds and Clarke widened in 2008 after the former was sent home mid-series for missing out on a team meeting while out fishing. Clarke was the stand-in captain during the series and said that their main concern regarding Symonds was his commitment to play for the country.

Clarke suggested that Symonds was not fully dedicated to playing for Australia. Symonds took retirement from all forms of the game three years later. 

After retiring, Symonds criticised Clarke for his leadership style and also accused him of not taking permission from his former teammates to write about them in his autobiography. Clarke hit back at Symonds and said that he is not the right person to give advice on leadership, revealing that the former all-rounder once turned up drunk to play for Australia. 

Image: RoySymonds/Insta/AP