Andrew Symonds in contention for Test squad

[marc71178]

Apprantly Gilchrist has been pushing the selectors to give him more time off.

But in this day and age, there's hardly any side matches anyway, and surely he doesn't want to miss Tests?

 

[Tom Halsey]

Not unheard of.

 

[marc71178]

Well, I can't remember any player asking to take a Test off just because he needs a break.

 

[Craig]

But in this day and age, there's hardly any side matches anyway, and surely he doesn't want to miss Tests?

More so in ODIs actually.

 

[Mister Wright]

Well, I can't remember any player asking to take a Test off just because he needs a break.

Graeme/Graham Thorpe, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten to name a few.

 

[Richard]

It's Graham Thorpe.
They and many others all took tours off - that's never been esepcially unusual, though it happens less now than it did before the '70s.
The unusual thing is taking a Test-match off.

 

[marc71178]

Graeme/Graham Thorpe, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten to name a few.

Thorpe was a tour when he wasn't mentally right - he then paid for missing out with a break from the Test side - so it wasn't really just taking a match off.

Pollock and Kirsten both missed games for a reason other than wanting a break (childbirth)

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Well, I can't remember any player asking to take a Test off just because he needs a break.

Well Lara took a year off.

 

[Craig]

Well Lara took a year off.

I thought he took a little more then 6 months off? I know he wanted a break after of NZ when his mum got very sick.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I thought he took a little more then 6 months off? I know he wanted a break after of NZ when his mum got very sick.

AFAIK the intention was to take a year off, but you are right, as he was asked back for the England tour and Lara obviously accepted.

However, he didn't stand down due to his mother's illness (alone) but rather because he just needed a break from the game to get himself sorted. As evidenced by his form in England and Australia, it didn't quite go to plan.

 

[marc71178]

But again, that isn't just taking 1 Test off for a break!

 

[Richard]

AFAIK the intention was to take a year off, but you are right, as he was asked back for the England tour and Lara obviously accepted.

However, he didn't stand down due to his mother's illness (alone) but rather because he just needed a break from the game to get himself sorted. As evidenced by his form in England and Australia, it didn't quite go to plan.

Indeed it still took another series to get it right (IIRR he didn't play in Zimbabwe?)
Only in Sri Lanka did he start to get his real touch back.