ADELAIDE, Sept 12: Australia on Friday left out all-rounder Andrew Symonds for disciplinary reasons and chose 36-year-old leg-spinner Bryce McGain for next month’s four-Test tour of India.

Symonds is considering his future in international cricket after being axed from the Australian squad for this month’s One-day International series against Bangladesh in Darwin after opting to go fishing rather than attend a compulsory team meeting.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Symonds, who has played 22 Tests and 193 ODIs, will be left behind to give the 33-year-old time to consider his playing future.

“Andrew Symonds was stood down for disciplinary reasons in Darwin and is now going through a process managed by Cricket Australia (CA) designed to give him time to assess whether he is fully committed to all of the things needed to be a member of the world’s number one team,” Hilditch said.

“CA has told us that selectors will be advised once Andrew can be considered again for selection and we hope we can look forward to that advice in due course because as we all know a fit and fully committed Andrew Symonds can be a world-beater.

“In the meantime, our advice was that he was not available to be considered for selection this time,” Hilditch added.

“You miss Andrew, he’s a great player, but this is just the way it is at the moment. At the moment it’s all about Andrew’s welfare and that process will take as long as it takes.”

Australia selected Victorian McGain and Tasmanian Jason Krejza as their spinners in the 15-man party for the spin-friendly Indian wickets, and also included fast bowlers Bollinger and Siddle.

Hilditch added that Australia will be counting on their pace attack, not spin, to beat India.

Australia named the uncapped Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle in their squad to provide back-up to the front line trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the series.

“It’ll depend on conditions, they are spinner friendly, but when we won there last time (in 2004) we won because of our quick bowlers and we think it’ll be the same this time,” Hilditch said.

Hilditch also said that he expected McGain to be well suited to the Indian conditions and he had been selected subject to a fitness test on an injured right shoulder.

“McGain was the standout leg-spinner at interstate level last year and we think he is really well suited to the Indian conditions and bowling plans,” he stated.Hilditch added that finger-spinner Krejza was another selection with an eye on the Indian conditions.

“Jason had a good season for Tasmania last year and the selectors felt right-arm finger spinners would perform well in India, and Jason now has a chance to prove himself at the international level.”

Hilditch further said that Bollinger and Siddle had been included to gain valuable international experience, adding veteran opening batsman Matthew Hayden was selected subject to fitness on an Achilles injury.

“The tour of India is an icon series for the Australian team and the selection process has been a highly detailed exercise,” Hilditch expressed.

“A lot of planning has gone in to how we want to play against the Indian team and how we go about that in Indian conditions.”

Australia’s opening Test of the series against India starts in Bangalore on Oct 9.

Squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Phil Jaques, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Bryce McGain, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson.—Agencies