Australian cricket fanatics have woken to more unwelcome news following the passing of Andrew Symonds at the age of just 46.

The British-born larrikin was best known to crowds worldwide for his devastating ability to take games away from opponents with both bat and ball, as well as his distinctive dreadlocks and trademark lip zinc.

According to early reports from veteran News Corp cricket scribe Robert Craddock, Symonds' death was recorded at approximately 10:30pm on Saturday night following his involvement in a single-car crash just outside of Townsville.

The laid-back operator who would have looked at home taking hit-ups for the NRL's North Queensland Cowboys had called the Far North home since hanging up his spikes from all forms of cricket in February of 2012.

Symonds donned the baggy green on 26 occasions and peeled off a pair of Test centuries, with his most poignant coming during the Boxing Day Test against the old enemy England in 2006.

The hard as nails linchpin's passing comes just over two months since the cricketing community bid farewell to Symonds' former teammate and fellow Australian icon, Shane Warne.

While the news that such a universally admired figure has been lost to the game is sure to stir emotions right across the globe's axis, Craddock stated that Symonds' family had issued a statement thanking well-wishers but also asking for privacy.

Vale Andrew 'Roy' Symonds (9/6/75 - 14/5/22)

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