How did Symonds qualify for Australia?

[Speedboy Salesman]

Wasn't he born in Birmingham, England, and weren't his parents of West Indian heritage?

(I also realised I think I can qualify for the Canadian national side, but I don't think I'll take it up)

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Speedboy Salesman

Wasn't he born in Birmingham, England, and weren't his parents of West Indian heritage?

(I also realised I think I can qualify for the Canadian national side, but I don't think I'll take it up)

Maybe stayed his 5 years....

Anyhow, you should take up that Canadian thing if you can...at least you'll make it to the world cup

[Speedboy Salesman]

nah, I'd probably outshine Joseph, A Codrington and all their fast bowlers. I'm too modest you see

[first change]

Moved there when he was about five. Educated there, learned all his cricket there. He about as English as Andrew Strauss is South African - not very.

[Milo]

He wanted to play for a team that was harder to get into. That says it all really. When he played for Gloucestershire there was a serious move to include him in an England ream (even before he had played for Queensland) but he chose to sit and wait. He'd have been a celebrity over here and we'd have probably ruined him.

[Speedboy Salesman]

well that cleared up my question

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Speedboy Salesman

nah, I'd probably outshine Joseph, A Codrington and all their fast bowlers. I'm too modest you see

"oh lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way, I can't wait to look in the mirror, I get better looking each day"... Hey Ern, help me out here, who did that song? I'd like to sing it to SS here...

Originally Posted by Milo

He'd have been a celebrity over here and we'd have probably ruined him.

Wanna name some names

[Speedboy Salesman]

Oh my dream has come true:

1. Opening the bowling for a national cricket side (apparently)
2. Getting serenaded by Wanderer.

Actually maybe I should swap these around in order of joyness.

oh Wanderer that song sounds like something Shane Warne would sing. In fact the whole Australian side.

[Zainub]

Regardless of what type of side he "wanted" to get into, the whole idea that he's English because he was born here is rather misplaced, I have to feel. I know some one who has born in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), was educated and raised there until a while, before he and his family took on a globetrotting journey which saw them live in places as diverse as Pakistan, Bahrain, Nigeria, USA and the UK, and now he him self is working in Tanzania, with a possible move to the US on the cards. Of all the places he's lived in, he's spend the least amount of time in Pakistan, yet he can relate to Pakistan most of any of the countries he's lived in, and happily calls him self Pakistani!

Another example, and a very ironic one in that is that of Nasser Hussain, possibly the most biased English commentator in the Sky team, was not born in England. I'm not sure if it was Chennai or Bombay he was born in, but he was definitely born in India.

So being called a folk of any place is not determined by being born there, or even having been raised there, its irrespective of these things and depends rather on HOW you've been raised. Hence to be critical of Symonds because of his decision not to play for England, and to cast him as a traitor, is unfair and unjustified.

[Occasional Fan]

Nasser Hussain was born in Chennai, or Madras as it was known in 1968.