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Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds - Source: Photosport -
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Saddened by good mate Matthew Hayden's retirement, Andrew Symonds decided to follow him as he walked off into the sunset.
Well, as far as the Hayden holiday home at Stradbroke Island off Brisbane at least.
After catching up with a "very relaxed" Hayden recently, Symonds prepared for the "final chapter" of what has been a very interesting cricketing tale indeed.
But Symonds said on Thursday recent knee surgery had ensured there would be plenty of plot twists to come before he finishes his sometimes controversial career.
"I went over to Straddie and saw him a couple of days ago, he's very relaxed," Symonds said of Hayden, who recently ended his 103-Test career.
Asked if it had planted the retirement seed for him, Symonds said: "The day that I am worn out either physically or mentally I will just say 'that will do me'.
"I haven't put a time limit as to when I finish playing. Hopefully I can go on my terms rather than injury or lack of form.
"There's only so many tokens left. Hopefully I can use them effectively and have a good end to my career."
Retirement certainly would have been tempting to Symonds in the past.
Indeed the game looked to have lost the explosive allrounder in the fallout over the now infamous "gone fishing" controversy in Darwin.
But just as he did after hitting rock bottom at the Top End, Symonds said he believed he had finally turned it around.
A break while recovering from knee surgery held after the Boxing Day Test had again allowed him to take stock.
And he was determined to ensure he could look back at his career with fond memories - not regrets.
"Hopefully I can leave the past behind me, we can make this a new chapter," Symonds said.
"I feel like this is the final chapter of my cricketing career coming up so hopefully I can play some good cricket, finish well and look back on my career which has been interesting but also very enjoyable."
Symonds certainly didn't shy away from his past as he took stock of his future.
"I look back and think about things but you have to fall to stand up and go again I think - and I needed that, and hopefully that has happened," he said.
"I am a better person for it."
Symonds will make his comeback from knee surgery in Brisbane club cricket this weekend.
If all goes to plan, he will play for Queensland in next week's Sheffield Shield clash with WA - and make an international return in the up-coming trans-Tasman one-day series.
Despite still building strength in his knee, Symonds refuted the idea of ditching bowling to further extend his international career.
"I don't play cricket like that. I think I need to be able to bowl to be at my most effective, and I need to be mobile in the field," he said.
"This has been a good time to freshen up again, clear the mind and give the body a rest, I feel good."
Meanwhile, Symonds will ditch his famous five-year old dreadlocks on live TV on February 14 as part of the "World's Greatest Shave" fundraising event.
"I am looking forward to it - I will be able to sneak around a little bit more," the notoriously publicity-shy Symonds laughed.
