Rediff

Sydney, Sep 15: Legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne has lambasted temperamental all-rounder Andrew Symonds for showing disrespect to the national team and urged him not to throw away his international career and return as a better person.

Warne was critical about Symonds "gone fishing" episode and said the volatile all-rounder has let his team down by not attending the important team meeting in Darwin.

Symonds was sent packing from Darwin during the Bangladesh ODI series and was also dropped from the 15-member squad that tours India next month.

Warne said Symonds should have lent support to his one-time best friend Michael Clarke especially in the absence of senior members like Ricky Ponting [Images] and Matthew Hayden.

"I would have thought that if Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke were good friends, then Symo would have more respect for Clarke than that," Warne was quoted as saying in Herald Sun.

"I think it's disappointing that he put a young captain like Clarke in that position.

"It was disappointing from Symo, especially with the Australian team not having senior players like Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden there.

"It's not a one-off thing, and I just think Symo has showed lack of respect," Warne said.

Warne, who retired from international cricket two years back and is now the coach and captain of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, urged Symonds not to quit the game and to regain his lost respect.
 
"I would be disappointed if he took the easy option and just threw it away," he said.

"He could do that and just take his cash from the IPL, but to me that would be the easy option.

"The hard option and the option that will satisfy him and earn him some respect is to come back a better person and show how important playing for Australia is to him," he said.