Symonds once considered playing for England: Mott

Townsville: England's new white-ball coach Matthew Mott has revealed that late Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds was "certainly considering" playing for England when he started out, as he had a UK passport. "He (Symonds) was certainly considering it (playing for England)," Mott told former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Ian Healy at the public memorial service for the late cricketer on Friday, reports cricket365.com.

Mott, when asked about the offer that came to the Birmingham-born cricketer at the end of 1995, said, "It (offer) was very enticing to him, he basically had it on a platter, and of course (his parents) were from there (England). But it got down to his moral compass: He was desperate to play for Australia. It was his childhood dream; it was never a monetary thing," Mott, the former Australia women's team head coach, was quoted as saying in the report.

In fact, County side Gloucestershire had signed Symonds as a "non-overseas player" and the-then 19-year-old Symonds ended up scoring four centuries in the season "and being offered a place on the England A tour of Pakistan".

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