Andrew Symonds's likely absence may leave Australia short on experience when they tour India next month, but, at the same time, it might ease tension in the high-profile series, reckons India coach Gary Kirsten.
Symonds has had a stormy relation with the Indian players and its crowds. Booed and barracked in India, he also figured prominently with Harbhajan Singh in the Sydney racism row last summer.
Nursing a hurt ego after Cricket Australia downgraded the racism charges against Harbhajan, Symonds is cooling his heels after being sent home for preferring a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting.
Though the volatile all-rounder is likely to miss the India series, Kirsten feels it might help in reducing the tension that, of late, surrounds Indo-Australian series.
"There is a lot of hype around him and the quality of player that he is, and also I gather there is a lot of tension around from what happened in the last series," Kirsten was quoted as saying by The Age.
"To not have him around... does that alleviate it? Does it make it better? I don't know the answer. But I don't think it takes the gloss off the Test series," said the South African.
"One thing we must always be aware of is the game is bigger than the individual," Kirsten added.
Should Symonds miss the tour, Kirsten said, Australia would have to draft in inexperienced players and India will do everything to capitalise on that.
"To not have those types of individuals means they are going to be replaced by more inexperienced players; so we will, hopefully, be able to exploit (that)," said Kirsten, pointing out that the Aussies would no more have Adam Gilchrist in the ranks as well.
"We all know with the Australian set-up that they always replace those individuals with quality players, but in the heat of Test match battle sometimes experience counts for a lot," he said.
Australia will announce the team for the four-Test series in India next week, and though Shaun Marsh and David Hussey are knocking on the selectors' door, the final shape of the squad remains unclear.
CA has already sent selector Jamie Cox to India to monitor the performance of Australia 'A' spinners Beau Casson, Bryce McGain and Jason Krezja and assess if they merit a place in the senior squad.
