Sydney, Feb 16 (IANS) Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of the game citing family reasons.
The all-rounder has not represented the national side for three years. He was sent back from the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup in England for disciplinary reasons and since then has not donned the Australian colours. Symonds, who has an IPL contract, will not be representing the Mumbai Indians in the 2012 edition.
"Effective immediately, I am retiring from all forms of professional cricket," Symonds said.
"It is with regret that I will not be able to fulfil my final year of the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians and the IPL have both been very supportive of me, but the impending arrival of my first child is a priority."
The Australian all-rounder, who was bought for a whopping $850,000 in IPL auction 2011, had a torrid time as he failed to make a half-century in either the IPL or the Champions League T20.
Symonds is best known in India for the 'Monkeygate' controversy. In India's 2008 tour to Australia, the all-rounder accused off-spinner Harbhajan Singh of racially abusing him in the Sydney Test.
'Symmo' as he is called by his teammates has played 26 Tests and 198 One-day Internationals averaging 40.61 and 39.75, respectively.