Andrew Symonds` international career appears to be over after Cricket Australia withdrew its offer of a national contract.

Andrew Symonds` international career appears to be over after Cricket Australia withdrew its offer of a national contract.

The all-rounder has been replaced by South Australian bowler Shaun Tait on the 25-man CA player list for the 2009-10 season.

Symonds was sent home before the start of the ICC World Twenty20 for an alcohol-related offence and, according to CA chief executive James Sutherland, it was the 'final straw' after a long and chequered track record off the field.

Four years ago, Symonds was excluded from the Australian team for a one-day international against Bangladesh in Cardiff after arriving for the match drunk, with the team going on to suffer a shock defeat.

"Symonds playing only for money"

Having bounced back to establish himself as a regular member of both the Test and ODI teams, Symonds' career hit the crossroads again just over nine months ago when he was sent home from Darwin for going fishing instead of attending a team meeting.

After missing the October tour of India, Symonds was recalled for the Test series against New Zealand but again found himself in hot water following an altercation with a fan at a Brisbane.

Cleared of any wrongdoing for the incident, Symonds missed the latter stages of the Australian summer with a knee injury that required surgery and was again disciplined by CA while recovering after publicly abusing New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

Ruled ineligible for selection following that incident in a radio interview, Symonds was not part of the tour to South Africa in February and March but was reinstated in April and offered a new CA contract.

Controversial career

Overlooked for Ashes selection last month, Symonds was nonetheless included in the ICC World Twenty20 squad but his latest infraction now looks to have brought an end to an excellent but controversial international career.

Tait now has the opportunity to cement himself in the Australian team after being left off the original CA contract offer list.

The paceman injured his hamstring earlier this year but was working to get fit in time to play for the Rajasthan Royals in this year's IPL.

However, CA forbade him from travelling to South Africa for the tournament before he was then left out of the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 and denied a contract offer.

Big things

"When you think you are ready to go and play and obviously Cricket Australia had it in their mind, they thought they had it in their mind, they wanted me for future tournaments that was fair enough," Tait said last month.

"But to not let you go, not pick you in a squad and then not give you a contract is a little bit of a kick in the teeth.

"That's the other disappointing thing. I could've gone over and trained with them (Rajasthan) and been around the lads, mingled with 'Warnie' (Shane Warne), he's a great mentor, that would've been good."

But Tait is now back in favour with CA and national selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch expects big things from the quick.

"Shaun at his best is an important part of our one-day international and Twenty20 make-up and I'm sure he will now seize the opportunity presented to him with this offer of a further Australian contract."