Symonds may play in IPL if schedule permits: Manager

Out of favour all-rounder Andrew Symonds's priority is to play for Australia again but schedule permitting, he could also play in the Indian Premier League's second edition starting in April, his manager said.

The troubled cricketer, omitted from touring South Africa following his off-field problems, will be available for Australia selection at the time the IPL is starts in April.

Symonds will be 34 this year and, at best, may have 18 months of international cricket ahead of him considering that his troublesome knee is causing him increasing problems.

If Australia want to pick him in April, Symonds will be forced to choose between cash and country because the IPL conflicts with Australia's scheduled one-day series against Pakistan.

Symonds' manager Matt Fearon claims Symonds' priority would be to play for Australia again but could play in the IPL if he has time for it. "From every indication and the brief conversation I have had with him he is committed to cricket and the process he is going through at the moment," Fearon said.

"He has made it very clear his first love is playing cricket for Australia but schedule permitting I am sure he would enjoy any time he gets in the IPL," Fearon was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"The thing that comes out of this is he has made enormous progress and knows he needed to. He feels ready to play cricket but understands that that will not currently come about (for Australia)."

Meanwhile, Symonds will meet Cricket Australia officials and tell them he is determined to fight on and that he is not about to give up his dream of playing in this year's Ashes series after the latest setbacks. He will fly to Melbourne from Cairns, where he attended the funeral of the father of close friend Jimmy Maher, in an effort to rebuild his career by meeting his employers and counsellors, and reaffirming to them his commitment to the Australian team.

The purpose of today's meeting is to map out the next phase of programme for Symonds, who has been asked to undergo further rehabilitation before he can be considered for selection.

The 33-year-old will be accompanied by Fearon and the meeting will be attended by officials from CA, Queensland Cricket and the Australian Cricketers' Association, along with the psychologists who have worked with Symonds since he was sent home from Darwin last August for missing a team meeting and had gone fishing instead.