Andrew Symonds' family and friends pay a touching tribute to the cricketer during Australia vs Zimbabwe ODI

Former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was recently paid a beautiful tribute by his friends and family during Australia's recent ODI outing against Zimbabwe. The match took place at the Riverway Stadium in Symonds' hometown of Townsville.

The former Aussie all-rounder met with a fatal accidentwest of Townsville back in May early this year. He died at the age of 46 and issurvived by his children, wife, sister and mother.

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Symonds' children,Billy and Chloe, came out onto the pitch inthe innings-break of the match to lay their father'sAkubra hat, cricket bat and baggy green near the stump, sporting Australia's iconic yellow jersey.

All this while, the outfield displayed Symonds' nickname and Test capnumber,Roy 388. His beloved dogs Buzz and Woody also appeared alongside his family and friends on the pitch.

Billy and Chloe played a vital role in the proceedings of the day as they featured with the team on numerous occasions. They were also seen running with the drinks during Australia's fielding stint and spent the entire innings in the team dugout.

In addition to being a part of the pre-match ceremony, they also appeared alongsideAaron Finch and Steven Smith for the national anthem, after which everyone in the stadium observed a period of silence in remembrance of Symonds.

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Footage of the tribute emerged on social media shortly thereafter. Building on the touching tribute, reports suggest that the grandstand at the Riverway Stadium will be renamed after the late cricketer in the near future.

Ahead of their first ODI against Zimbabwe, Australian skipper Aaron Finch also paid tribute to the late cricketer in his own way. He waxed lyrical about his athletic prowess and the knowledge that he possessed.