Hayden and Buchanan have said they would work on finally addressing Symonds’ alcohol problem after the all rounders’ other team-mates and former cricketers suspect the Queenslander will end his international career following his disgraceful return from the World Twenty20 Championships owing to violation of team rules.

“Andrew is my best friend, (my wife) Kellie and I care very deeply for him,” Hayden said.

“First and foremost it’s about getting Andrew in a position where in his heart of hearts admits that he has a problem, and it is not masked by the carrot of playing for Australia or doing anything else in his life other than just trying to understand the depth of the issue,” said Hayden.

“We all know his cricket attributes, he has captivated audiences right across the world and he’s revolutionised the way the game has been played. He will do that in other fields of life as well, but first and foremost as a mate we have to get him to the position where we understand the extent of the issues surrounding alcohol and then we can move forward.”

Buchanan vowed to mentor and support Symonds through his life and cricket crisis, urging friends of the troubled all-rounder not to desert him.

“I’m a very big supporter of Andrew and I always will be. I want to sit down with him and help him if I can. I am sure he will see me as a true friend,” Buchanan said.

“For Andrew’s sake, the less that is made of this story, the better. He has got to get back to Australia and adapt to the new situation he finds himself in.

“I don’t think it does anybody any good to get on his back too much now. I’m sure he will be the first to admit he has made mistakes.”

The Australian Cricketers’ Association also pledged to provide Symonds with professional help — if needed.

ACA Chief Executive Paul Marsh said Symonds would retain the support of the players’ union even if he chose to leave the game.

“Does he want to go on, pull the pin or just play IPL? That’s the decision before him. Whatever he decides, he will have our full backing and support,” Marsh said.

“He has definitely taken on restrictions that other players have not, but he knew that if he wanted to play for Australia again, he had to operate under certain guidelines. It’s sad his history has caught up with him. It’s up to him now to decide whether he can do that,” Marsh added.

Queensland Cricket chief executive Graham Dixon said the Bulls would welcome Symonds back with open arms if he chose to play inter-state cricket.

“Andrew has been with us since under-17s and half his life has been with the Queensland Cricket family and we want to try and help him through this issue,” Dixon said.

“It would be a loss to the game. Despite all these indiscretions, he’s a crowd-puller and he’s a crowd-pleaser with his fantastic ability.”

The controversial all-rounder was given his marching orders following an alcohol related incident that may well have brought down the curtain on the Queensland star’s international career.

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This is not the first time Symonds has been undone in this way – he was dropped for two matches during Australia’s 2005 tour of England after turning up on the morning of their shock one-day loss to Bangladesh in Cardiff the worse for wear.

Symonds’s absence robs Australia of one of the world’s leading Twenty20 players. A hard hitting batsman, brilliant fielder and a bowler capable of both medium pace and spin, Symonds ought to be a captain’s dream in this format.

That was certainly the view of the Deccan Chargers, winners a few weeks ago of the Indian Premier League, who paid $1.35 million for the services of the Birmingham-born Symonds.

However, Australia know what it is like to be rocked by a late withdrawal – leg-spin great Shane Warne sustained a drugs ban on the eve of their unbeaten run to the 2003 World Cup title in South Africa – and still do well.

“He’s a world-class player and to leave a gap like that is not great for the Australian team but we always find a way to fill a void”, Brett Lee said.

Much now will depend on Australia captain Ricky Ponting to get the side back on track.

The Tasmanian remains one of the world’s best batsmen in all forms of the game and Ponting looked in superb touch while making 56 during a warm-up win over New Zealand this week.

“He has let himself down, let all his team-mates down and Cricket Australia down,” was Ponting’s blunt assessment of Symonds’s actions.

“It probably throws the balance a little bit in our side but the beauty of our side is that there is a lot of flexibility within the group.”

In the short term Australia, who have called up Cameron White to the squad as a replacement, could promote either one of Michael or David Hussey up the order with David Hussey’s off-spin a useful bowling option in the Twenty20.

Given their off-field problems, Australia could have had a worse opener than a match against the West Indies, who have been beaten comprehensively by England in Tests, One-dayers and most recently a Twenty20 warm-up this season.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle though did hammer 88 in a nine-wicket warm-up win over minnows Ireland this week and, in a format which more than any other type of cricket can see games won by one player alone, the left-handed opener remains a significant force.

“This is a fresh start,” said Gayle after his innings against Ireland. And now those words don’t just apply to his team.

Squad:

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin (wkt), Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

CA chief executive James Sutherland told a hastily-arranged news conference in Melbourne, broadcast on national television, that Symonds had been ordered home for alcohol-related issues.

“The decision has been made after Andrew, in the last 24 to 48 hours, has broken a number of team rules,” Sutherland said.

“In isolation those breaches are not significant but in the context of the commitment that Andrew has made to his team mates and Cricket Australia over the last six to 12 months they are the final straw.”

Symonds was a notable absentee from Australia training at The Oval in London on Thursday where captain Ricky Ponting held a news conference.

“He has let himself down, his team mates down and Cricket Australia down,” Ponting said. “There is no doubting his credentials as a player but there are a number of his own commitments that he has broken over the last 24 or 48 hours.

“This decision is all about the bigger picture, all about having the best team we can possibly have and bringing on the next generation of Australian players.”

Sutherland said Symonds was expected to fly back to Australia immediately and his international career remains in doubt with his contract due to expire at the end of this month.

Symonds had been offered a new deal but Sutherland said that was now under review.

“Tonight we have also advised him that we will take the offer off the table at this stage,” Sutherland said.

Symonds, 33, has been dogged by off-field problems during his career and only recently rejoined the team after undergoing counselling.

The Queenslander was almost sent home from the last Ashes tour of England in 2005 for turning up to a training session still under the influence of alcohol.

Senior players and team management voted to send him home from a One-day series in Darwin last year after he missed a team meeting to go fishing.

Earlier this year, Symonds was fined for a drunken radio interview and ordered to have counselling before being reconsidered for selection.

“We all understand that Andrew has had his fair share of problems and challenges over the last year or so and I’m very confortable with the approach Cricket Australia has taken in supporting him and helping him through that,” Sutherland said.

“I’m disappointed but at the same time I’m disappointed for Andrew…in fact, I’m quite sad about it,” Sutherland said.

Symonds, who has played 26 Tests and 198 One-Day Internationals, was picked in Australia’s squad for the Twenty20 World Cup but was overlooked for the Ashes Test team.

“Andrew’s very disappointed and understandably upset but at the same time there shouldn’t be too many surprises given what we’ve been through,” Sutherland said.

“Unfortunately, it’s a constant balancing act and it’s just tipped too far today.”