I'd prefer someone like a de Villiers and then picking another proper batsman.
He's being selected because of a "bit of this" and "bit of that" which is pure bits and pieces - his entire package is way below ATG level in every facet except fielding (and even then it's not is if the slight drop off to say a Ponting is worth the considerable increase in batting you'd gain.
I already have DeVilliers in my side.
And FWIW, if you want to argue this, I'll argue it.
I'm not selecting him as "bits and pieces", which you are clearly using as a derogatory term. Symonds spent the majority of his career in the 5/6/7 slots. His role, which he excelled at, was to close the innings with powerful hitting. He did this consistently. You mention Ponting. Which is fine. But Ponting batted at 3. That was his role. I can't include Ponting over Viv, and now Kohli has locked in at either 3 or 4. So there is no space for Ponting in my estimation. I'm not going to play Ponting at 6.
And further, FWIW, let's be realistic here. Ponting's average was 42 and his SR was 80. Symonds' average was 40 and his SR was 92. So in terms of raw stats, he is on par with Ponting with a superior SR, plus I am playing him in the spot he belongs in (I know Ponting was a superior bat etc, but we are selecting teams with players playing their roles here).
So I am interested to know why you think a guy with an ODI batting average of 40, and a SR of 92, batting in the role that he played in, in a role that suited him, is "way below ATG level". Like, I'm seriously interested to know.