Cricket Australia may ask Symonds to explain slur on McCullum

Cricket Australia will decide by the weekend what action to take against seemingly habitual offender Andrew Symonds after he recently labelled Kiwi Test star Brendon McCullum a "lump of s***" in a radio interview.

CA chief Executive Michael Brown would on Tuesday listen to audio of Symonds radio rant and decide if explanation should be sought from Symonds.

"I've heard the interview. I've sent the audio file to Michael Brown. He will listen to the tape on Tuesday and determine if anything needs to be done," said CA general manager of public affairs Peter Young.

"There's no need to rush it any faster than that. Michael will talk to James Sutherland and make a decision sometime this week on what, if anything, he needs to do next," he was quoted as saying by The Sunday Telegraph.

CA boss James Sutherland will return from annual leave on Wednesday.

Symonds made the bizzare comments live on air on radio station network 'Triple M' while taking a swipe at NSW for signing McCullum at the expense of a local player for the KFC Big Bash Twenty20 final against Victoria.

"They're trying to use him (McCullum) as the out because he's a Kiwi. Yep, we love to hate them, but he's the lump of s..., sorry, lump of cow dirt, that people are thinking of," Symonds had told the show hosts.

The paper claimed Symonds was out drinking at a pub prior to the six-minute radio interview, which he conducted from his home in the Gold Coast hinterland. The all rounder could face stern action from CA, even scrapping of his USD 500,000-a-year contract, after his fourth off-field misdemeanour in five months. 

Since last August, Symonds has been sent home from Darwin for missing a team meeting for 'gone fishing', slept through a Queensland training session just three weeks into his comeback and became embroiled in a brawl with a fan at a Brisbane pub.

Asked if Symonds faced termination of contract following his latest off-field saga, Young said, "I wouldn't want to comment on hypotheticals. The process is quite clear. You judge every issue or incident on its individual merits and you then make decisions according to the existing policies and processes that we have.

"We have a code of behaviour. Under the code, we have 10 days before we need to make a decision if necessary. Michael will listen to the tape and if it merits further discussion, that will occur at the start of next week," Young said.

In the radio interview, Symonds had also raised eyebrows when he made a comment about Matthew Hayden's wife Kellie.

Asked about Hayden's cooking, Symonds said he took a "side glance" at Hayden's wife as "it helps the meal go down amply well".

Hayden has, however, contacted Symonds and said he took "no offence to his close mate's joke".