Andrew Symonds has revisited January’s ‘hog-pile’ hot-mic controversy in which he came under-fire for derogatory comments made about Marnus Labuschagne while he was unknowingly on-air.
Kayo Sports apologised for the slip-up, saying that their “stream started early and caught some unacceptable comments”. Speaking to Shane Warne, the two criticised Labuschagne’s on-field behaviour, with Warne saying the No.3, who is one of just seven players in Test history to average north of 60 with a minimum of 20 innings, should “just f***ing bat properly”. Symonds responded that “We’ll have to give him the hog-pile. ‘Mate, if you keep that shit up we’re going to have to squash your guts out your arse.’”
Much of the reaction to the incident was amused, including from Australia skipper Tim Paine. “When you’re 100 Tests in, and I’m commentating, it’s going to be exactly the same,” Paine said to Labuschagne on the field during the third India-Australia Test. “I’m going to be sitting there with Roy [Symonds] and Warnie saying the same thing. Hog-piling.”
However, Symonds has revealed how he personally was distraught over the error, and went to great lengths to apologise to Labuschagne, immediately phoning him and sending him a video message to apologise, before making sure to do so in person as well.
“I had beers with the Queensland boys and I apologised and saw his parents afterwards too and apologised to them,” Symonds told News Corp. “His mother gave me a hug and everything and I felt so much better. What we did was crude and it was wrong and it’s good to alleviate that angst I suppose when you haven’t physically seen someone and shook their hand and apologised. They were very accepting. I didn’t know what I was going to get. They would have been quite within their rights to tear into me, but no, they were fantastic about it.”
Symonds says he feared for his career as a pundit in the wake of the incident.
“It’s one of those things where I could have lost my job. At the time it was a bit frightening to be honest with you because I thought, ‘I’ve gone and blown this now,’” he said. “We got a good talking to from our bosses.”
Labuschagne himself appears to have moved on. “I’ve got no malice or hard feelings towards them,” he said. “They’re doing their jobs. You’ve got to talk on air for six hours a day, you’re going to say stuff, especially if you didn’t think it’s going to air. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”
