Shane Watson pays tribute to Andrew Symonds, drawing comparisons with Sir Viv Richards

Earlier this year, the Australian cricket team lost two of its most iconic players. Shane Warne, the spin superstar, died of a heart attack in March, while his ex-teammate Andrew Symonds was killed in a vehicle accident a few months later.

When news broke that Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds had died in a vehicle accident in May, cricket fans around the world were stunned. A public memorial for Symonds was conducted last month, in which his fellow players paid tribute to him. One of his former colleagues, Shane Watson, compared him to West Indies star Viv Richards in terms of his impact on teams.

Watson, who was also a vital cog in the Australian side, recalled Symonds on the latest episode of 'The ICC Review'. 

The former Australian cricketer praised Symonds' all-round ability, saying he was one of the best fielders he had ever played with. His qualities on the field set him apart from other players of his era.

"You felt bulletproof when you played in the same team as Andrew Symonds. Having him at the point and just knowing he always had your back no matter what. And to bat with him was something very special," said Watson.

"It is shattering to think he is not with us anymore. I look back at old footage I have seen over the last couple of weeks and (shaking head) he was so good, just so incredibly good. And to go with it one of the best teammates you could ever have," he added. 

"His poor two kids, such beautiful kids, and they adored their dad as well. We need to make sure we rally around his family as much as we can, as I know he would do that for us."

Further, 'Watto' compared Symonds' all-round ability with that of Viv Richards.

"He was very much Viv Richards reincarnated in the way he played. Even before I played against him you always heard about this big, powerful, six-hitting batter who could do everything and who was an amazing athlete."

"His ability to bowl spin and medium pace, he was one of the best fielders to ever play. His all-around ability was something we haven't seen much of and won't see much of again," Watson concluded.

'Roy' represented the Kangaroos in 26 Tests, 198 One-Day Internationals, and 14 Twenty20 Internationals for Australia, scoring 6887 international runs and scalping 165 international wickets. One of his career achievements is being a key member of the Australian teams that won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003 and 2007.