Former Australia skipper Steve Waugh said all-rounder Andrew Symonds must change his attitude towards the public.

Symonds was involved in a bar brawl at a Brisbane hotel on Sunday night and that was the latest of the controversies chasing the cricketer in recent times.

"My philosophy is don't look down on people who look up to you. Sometimes you are larger than life to people, they might have only seen you on TV or whatever, you have to be polite.

"Most of the time the easier option is to give the person their autograph or have the picture taken. It takes longer to say no than just to oblige with a fan's request - as long as the person is respectful," Waugh was quoted as saying in the 'Daily Telegraph' today.

Symonds, who has just returned to the national side after missing the India tour after his "gone-fishing" episode, allegedly picked up an altercation at a pub in Brisbane at the weekend, forcing CA to have a look into the issue.

"If they aren't respectful, it can be delicate situation but you just have to back out of it before it becomes a problem. How you handle that makes the difference. If someone gets a bit aggressive you just have to shrug your shoulders and walk away," the former skipper suggested.

"At the end of the day it's the individual who is responsible for their actions. We're all adults, you can't hold anyone's hand. The buck stops somewhere," he added.

Waugh also emphasised on the team spirit to avoid such problems and feels it is the duty of the cricketers to keep an eye on their teammates' behaviour in public places.

"You have to look after each other. You have to keep an eye out for your mates. The Australian cricket team has always been pretty good at looking after each other and helping each other make good decisions," he said.