'Money does funny things'- Andrew Symonds opens up on his tarnished relationship with Michael Clarke

Former Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds was a part of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers team in the Indian T20 League 2008. Symonds became the most expensive player that season as the Deccan team paid USD 1.8 million for him.

Along with VVS Laxman, Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, and Herschelle Gibbs, Symonds was a prominent player for the Deccan team.  The legend believes that the large sum he received in the first season of the Indian T20 League fueled jealousy and harmed his relationship with Michael Clarke.  "We became close. When he (Clarke) came into the side, I used to bat with him a lot. So when he came into the side, I really looked after him. That built a bond," Symonds said on the Brett Lee podcast.

Adding further, Symonds revealed, "Matthew Hayden said to me — when the IPL started, I got a pretty penny to go and play in the IPL — he identified it as there was a bit of jealousy that potentially came into the relationship (with Clarke) there. Money does funny things. It’s a good thing but it can be a poison and I reckon it may have poisoned our relationship."

Symonds said that he would not reveal the entire details of what transpired between the two. "I’ve got enough respect for him to probably not go into detail about what was said. My friendship with him is no longer and I’m comfortable with that, but I’m not gonna sit here and start slinging mud," he said.

Symonds only played four games in the 2008 Indian T20 League, scoring 161 runs in three innings with an average of 80.50 and a strike rate of 153.33. Symonds played for Deccan Chargers and Mumbai in his Indian T20 League career. He scored 974 runs at an average of 36.07 in 39 matches, including one century and five half-centuries. He also took 20 wickets at an economy rate of 7.67 economy rate.