24 hours in pained transit down the line, including nauseating spells of turbulence, an inconveniencing stopover in Dubai and an intimidating string of questions from a rather thorough customs official at Heathrow, I have, thankfully, arrived for the commencement of the World Twenty20.

And on the eve of the second edition of the glitzy T20 showpiece (no, not the Indian Premier League) comes an occurrence - in the Aussie camp - as predictable as Andrew Flintoff's latest injury.

Ricky Ponting's unwillingness or care to "go into the specifics" regarding Andrew Symonds' latest discharge from the squad effectively sums up his and the team management's exhaustion with Symonds' alcohol-driven antics.

They've seen it all before, they've walked this road with the fallen star before and, now, again, they must face the music on his behalf as the plighted all-rounder waits until he is ready to offer reason, apology and, ultimately, excuse.

The tournament, Australia and ultimately world cricket are better off without the selfish, boozy bloke and I truly hope CA chief executive James Sutherland goes on to stand firm on his remark that this is the "last straw" for 'Roy'.

My empathy for him has certainly run out and surely the brains' trust - who have backed Symonds for longer than he'd care to repay - are tapped dry on a compassion front too.

While England's harboured hopes in the perennially injured Flintoff eventually returning to former glory are justified by the unfortunate reality that they have nobody (bar Kevin Pietersen) close to the 'Greatest Living Englishman's' class on offer, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch and cohorts have no excuse whatsoever in their sticking with Symonds.

The Australian side possess a couple of players forced to live in, or return to, the shadows based not on their own form, but rather the topsy-turvy life and times of Symonds. The opportunity is now for Shane Watson to pounce on his team-mate's off-field inconsistency and step to the fore as the nation's number one all-rounder and James Hopes and, come the Ashes, Andrew McDonald to nail down their role as Watson's understudy.

Ponting - who personally broke the news to Symonds that he would be sent packing - on Thursday commented that his charges don't want to "skip a beat" as they look to promptly move along in the wake of the saga.

The cricket-loving public will do the same, as will I, as will you. Symonds, meanwhile, is best left to his own devices in domestic competition and that of any two-bit IPL-esque Twenty tourney that'll have him.

And to think, it could have been England having to put up with the Birmingham-born batsman...