Sydney, Nov 18: Australian batsman Andrew Symonds, who was included into his national side after being sacked for having “gone fishing” in Darwin instead of attending an important team meeting, has said that he had lately realized that alcohol played a part in his poor attitude this year and getting axed from the squad.

He said that the Darwin episode was the “wake-up call” for him and that he needed to address his behaviour.

Symonds also conceded that he had hurt his relationship with his good friend Michael Clarke, the stand-in captain, when the Darwin decision was made, The News quoted Symonds as saying in an interview with the Channel Nine.

Speaking for the first time about the reasons that led to his being axed, Symonds said that he had started drinking too much after last season’s racism row with the India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was alleged to have called him a monkey during the Sydney Test and was suspended for three Tests.

“At times, I was drinking too much and I wasn’t a good bloke to be around,” Symonds said and added: “I had turned bad, I think, with the build-up of the whole of last summer and the things that had unfolded.” (ANI)