KEY POINTS:
Andrew Symonds will remain in a cricketing hot seat even if the wayward all-rounder escapes a ban for his latest misdemeanour.
Facing a cut-throat audition to regain his Test position, Symonds will bat at the dangerous No 4 position when he returns from injury for Queensland on a difficult Gabba wicket later this week.
Sidelined since the start of the year following knee surgery, he was on Monday selected for the Bulls' Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia, starting Friday.
It will be his one and only chance to prove his fitness and form before selectors sit down to name their Australian squad for next month's three-Test tour of South Africa.
Despite the high stakes of the Shield match, the Queensland selectors aren't about to make any concessions for Symonds, who has struggled up the order early this season.
The swashbuckling Test No 6 failed in his four bats at No 4 for the Bulls at the seam-friendly Gabba, scoring 5, 5, 26, 0 as he was exposed to the swinging new ball.
Despite the run of outs he was still recalled to the Australian team for the first test of the summer against NZ after completing his Cricket Australia rehabilitation program, which followed his "gone fishing" axing.
Skipper Ricky Ponting again wants Symonds back for the South African tour if he is fit but his most recent drama, labelling New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum as a "lump of s***" on FM radio, has added to the doubt surrounding his tenuous position.
Cricket Australia is expected to charge the dreadlocked Queenslander with a code of conduct breach as soon as Tuesday but he's expected to cop a fine rather than suspension.
Symonds, who apologised for his rambling comments on the weekend, will be back in the nets for the Bulls on Tuesday, just one of two training sessions before his first-class return.
Queensland chief selector Ray Phillips acknowledged Symonds had spluttered high up the order against the swinging ball, and the in-form Lee Carseldine presented as a strong option at No.4.
But both Phillips and coach Trevor Barsby said Symonds would stay at second drop with Carseldine, who averaged 100 in the Twenty20 competition, at No.5.
"We're still not sure if he is going to play," Phillips said. "We haven't heard anything so it's business as usual."
Barsby said Symonds, who will not bowl against WA, would have a "burning desire" to prove himself ready and able to return to Test cricket with a big score at the Gabba.
"It would be in Andrew's best interests to come out in this Shield game and score as many runs as he can to show he's still a dominant force," said the coach.
- AAP
