Watch: When late Andrew Symonds confronted pitch intruder and ejected him from stadium

Iconic Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds, who passed away last week, was known for his intolerance towards pitch intruders. Symonds himself took on pitch invaders on multiple occasions when they tried to disrupt a game with their attention-seeking act. In one such instance, Symonds taught a pitch invader a tough lesson when the latter tried to disrupt a one-day game between Queensland and Western Australia. 

The incident occurred in 1997 during Australia's domestic one-day tournament final. When a shirtless invader attempted to disturb the game by trying to pick the stumps, Symonds, a member of the Queensland playing XI, tackled him. Symonds was seen chasing down the half-naked man across the field before tackling him to the ground. The invader, on the other hand, managed to break free from Symonds' grip and fled the ground.

This wasn't the only time Symonds had to deal with a pitch invader. During the 2008 CB series between India and Australia, Symonds was caught on camera ramming his shoulder into an invader to knock him down while the latter was being chased by on-field security.

Symonds had just arrived at the crease to bat when a full naked individual invaded the ground and entered the field of play. The man was spotted running towards Symonds when the Australian cricketer slammed his shoulder to knock him to the ground.

Symonds' demise

Symonds died in a car accident late on Saturday night while he was travelling alone with his two pet dogs in Queensland, Australia. Symonds' car rolled over and veered off the road, causing the tragic accident. According to reports, emergency responders tried to revive Symonds but he died due to serious injuries. A postmortem of Symonds' body is still pending with local administration awaiting the arrival of a doctor who conducts an autopsy. 

The two-time World Cup-winning player, who represented Australia in 26 Tests and 198 ODIs, was survived by his wife and two young children. Symonds' wife Laura, who spoke to Courier Mail after the accident, said that all she can think about after Symonds' demise is her two kids and how they will be affected by the tragedy. 

Image: Fox Sports