Cricket: Former county favourite Symonds retires (From Gazette Series)

World Cup winner Andrew Symonds retires from cricket

3:49pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in Gloucestershire Sport

FORMER Gloucestershire star Andrew Symonds has retired from professional cricket.

Birmingham-born Symonds played for Gloucestershire between 1995 and 1996 as an English qualified player , but declared his allegiance to Australia when he chose not to tour Pakistan with England A.

The big-hitting all-rounder struck a world record 16 sixes in an unbeaten innings of 254 against Glamorgan at Abergavenny during his first season at Gloucestershire, which remained his highest first class score.

He went onto play in 26 Test matches and 198 one-day internationals for Australia, and was a key member of the World Cup winning sides in 2003 and 2007, and also in the side that beat England 5-0 to regain the Ashes in 2006-07.

The 36-year-old was due to play for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, but has quit for family reasons.