Drunken binge as breach of contract

Cricket Australia is investigating whether all-rounder Andrew Symonds breached his team contract when he went on an all-night drinking binge in Cardiff, the night before a match against Bangladesh.  He was so unsteady on his feet in the morning that he was pulled from the match, which Australia went on to lose in one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.

The standard cricket contract does not forbid getting drunk (these are, after all, Australians), but does provide that the player is required to “perform his services under this contract diligently, faithfully and with utmost integrity,” and must “keep himself fit and in first-class physical condition to enable him to play to the best of his ability in all matches for which he is selected.”