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Rods out for Roy as tributes keep flowing

3 minute read

Former Australia coaches Darren Lehmann and Justin Langer have paid tribute to Andrew Symonds after the 46-year-old died on Saturday night.

Australian batsman ANDREW SYMONDS.
Australian batsman ANDREW SYMONDS. Picture: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

The tributes continue to flow for Andrew Symonds, with a 'Fishing Rods for Roy' campaign launched to honour the former Australia Test star.

Cricket fans have been encouraged to leave fishing rods and cricket balls outside the front of their house as part of a nation-wide tribute for the 46-year-old.

Symonds died on Saturday night when his car left the road and rolled in Hervey Range, about 50km from Townsville.

His love of fishing was the stuff of folklore, with Symonds even sent home from an ODI series against Bangladesh in 2008 after missing a team meeting in Darwin so he could hit the water.

Symonds had even been willing to accept a 20 per cent pay cut from his Cricket Australia contract if it meant he would be granted more free time to go fishing.

New details emerged on Sunday of the crash that claimed the life of Symonds.

Waylon Townson tried to save Symonds after hearing the crash and rushing to the scene.

"He was stuck in there, so I tried to pull him out," Townson told the Nine Network.

"(I) started doing CPR and checked his pulse but I didn't get much response."

Symonds was travelling with his two dogs, and they reportedly didn't want to leave his side after the crash.

Adam Gilchrist choked back tears when paying tribute to Symonds on Monday during his SEN radio show.

Justin Langer, who played alongside Symonds in the Test team, joined Gilchrist and former coach Darren Lehmann to reminisce about their good friend.

"I loved him so much," Langer said.

"The great thing about Simmo in our environment was he was the great bull**** barometer.

"In the Australian team there would be some big egos. He would pull everyone into line.

"It wouldn't be through great speeches or anything, he would just look at you or pull you aside and say, 'Gentleman, enough of that son'.

"He was a great stabiliser in any team, because he was so real.

"Like Rod Marsh, he was so real, and that's why he was such an extraordinary person who we loved so much."

Lehmann said he was struggling to process the loss of Shane Warne, Rod Marsh, and Symonds in such a short space of time.

"He was one of the first guys I coached," Lehmann said.

"To lose a larger-than-life character is quite distressing for everyone, none more so than for his family.

"He was a legend of the game, we loved him very much, he lit up the room, and loved life to the fullest."

Another former Australia coach - John Buchanan - said he saw Symonds as a leader despite his larrikin behaviour.

"Roy was never perfect, that was for sure, and he never admitted that he was," Buchanan told the ABC.

"You know, he made poor decisions, like all of us do, at different stages of his life and different stages in his cricket career.

"But the one thing about Roy -- and one of the things that I think endeared him to most people -- was that even though he made a mistake, he would openly admit that and try to rectify that and take full accountability for that.

"And so when he saw other people that were probably treading the same path, he was certainly one of the first people to come forward and try to put them on the right direction.

"I always saw him as a leader in our team without a title."

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