Symonds to tell Cricket Australia bigwigs about targeting Ashes comeback

Melbourne, Feb.4 (ANI): All rounder Andrew Symonds will today tell Cricket Australia officials he is determined to fight on, despite one of the toughest months of his life after being dropped from the squad to South Africa and breaking up with his long-time girlfriend Katie Johnson.

It was feared Symonds would walk away from Australian cricket after being left out of the touring side on Tuesday, but he is not about to give up his dream of playing in this year's Ashes series after the latest setbacks.

He will fly to Melbourne from Cairns, where he attended the funeral of the father of close friend Jimmy Maher, in an effort to rebuild his career by meeting his employers and counsellors, and reaffirming to them his commitment to the Australian team.

His break-up with Johnson could have been the tipping point for Symonds as she played a key role in helping him through his previous axing from the side.

However, sources close to the player are adamant he is as focused as ever in re-establishing himself in the national team, and Symonds feels he still has another two to three years of his best cricket.

Symonds has already made it clear to CA chief executive James Sutherland in conversations between the pair this week that he will do whatever it takes to come back, although he has also told his boss he is ready for international cricket now.

The purpose of today's meeting is to map out the next phase of his rehabilitation program and chart a way back to the pinnacle of the sport.

The 33-year-old will be accompanied by his manager, Matt Fearon, and the meeting will be attended by officials from CA, Queensland Cricket and the Australian Cricketers' Association, along with the psychologists who have worked with Symonds since he was sent home from Darwin last August for missing a team meeting to go fishing. (ANI)