Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner opens up about her relationship with Andrew Symonds and how he continues to inspire her
'My idol': Symonds' legacy lives on in Gardner
The legacy of the late Andrew Symonds is alive and well in Australia's all-conquering women's team, with allrounder Ashleigh Gardner pledging to continue to attack the game like her "idol" did during his career.
Gardner today paid tribute to Symonds, who was killed in a single car accident in North Queensland last Sunday, crediting him for inspiring her love of the game and revealing they had exchanged messages as recently as the World Cup earlier this year.
Memory popped up on Twitter talking about our childhood heroes. Forever a legend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/unxZYWQRsd— Ashleigh Gardner (@akgardner97) May 16, 2022
The pair had been connected by former Aussie head coach Matthew Mott, a close friend of Symonds, and Gardner said the days following the 46-year-old's death have been "pretty devastating".
"Being able to talk to your idol is something that you probably never dream of, or having their phone number in your phone," she said.
"He sent me texts over the Ashes and around the World Cup and when I won the Belinda Clark Medal (in January, he) just sent me a congratulations message.
"To receive that from someone that you've looked up to for pretty much most of your junior playing career was certainly something pretty cool.
"The past week has been pretty devastating, as you'd imagine, and I'm certainly feeling for everyone that was really close to him and his family."
While the loss of Symonds has cut Australian cricket deep, his attacking flair lives on in Gardner, who today was named in Australia's squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
An athletic, big-hitting off-spinning allrounder like Symonds, Gardner says the Queenslander's willingness to go on the offensive has always inspired her.
"Watching his highlights ... watching him bat and watching him field, he just took the game on" she said. "And I guess that's something that I've tried to do.
"If people watch me play cricket, they know that I'm generally out there for a good time and it's just about taking the game on and just showing that fearless side to you. I think he did that in every aspect of the game and he just looked like he had fun out there.
"That's the main thing he's always said to people; just make sure that you enjoy it first and success will come later.
"He was in that era of cricketers who were phenomenal and for him to be able to come in and to break open games like he did, whether that was one-day cricket or Test match cricket, is something that I've tried to take into my game a little bit.
"He was pretty much one of the reasons why I turned to off-spin bowling. I obviously used to watch him pretty intensely and when he started bowling off-spin that was when I was like, 'Okay, well that's my cue to start bowling off-spin as well'. And it hasn't changed ever since."
Having played a key role in Australia's recent World Cup win, highlighted by an 18-ball innings of 48 against New Zealand and a stunning one-handed catch that Symonds would have been proud of, Gardner has her eyes on Comm Games gold in Birmingham in the winter.
Australia have picked the same 15 players that triumphed in the 50-over World Cup for the eight-team T20 event, which will be played at Edgbaston from July 29 to August 7.
The Aussies will warm up for the tournament with a T20 tri-series against Ireland from July 16 to 24 that will also feature Pakistan.
Australia's Tour of the UK, 2022
Australia's squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington
T20 Tri-Series
July 16: Australia v Pakistan
July 17: Australia v Ireland
July 19: Ireland v Pakistan
July 21: Australia v Ireland
July 23: Australia v Pakistan
July 24: Ireland v Pakistan
All matches start 3pm local time (midnight AEST) and played at Bready Cricket Club, Derry, Northern Ireland
2022 Commonwealth Games
July 29 v India (11am local time, 8pm AEST)
July 31 v Barbados (6pm local, 3am Aug 1 AEST)
August 3 v Pakistan (11am local, 8pm AEST)
Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados
Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka
Semi-finals: August 6, 11am local (8pm AEST) and 6pm local (3am Aug 7 AEST)
Bronze medal match: August 7, 10am local (7pm AEST)
Gold medal match: August 7, 5pm local (2am Aug 8 AEST)
All matches played at Edgbaston Stadium