By Paresh Soni BBC Sport in Perth

Symonds is proud to wear Australia's famous Baggy Green

More than a decade after famously turning down the chance to play for England, Andrew Symonds is set to relaunch his Test career for Australia.

The burly Queenslander has grown tired of saying he is a "fair dinkum Aussie" but the issue of that England snub will not go away.

Back in 1995, the Birmingham-born all-rounder had impressed the England hierarchy with some blistering batting for Gloucestershire, including a world-record 20 sixes in one game.

But he rejected the chance to go on an England A tour and declared his allegiance to Australia, the country his family emigrated to when he was only two years old.

He has no regrets about his choice and snapped at a news conference at the Waca when a newspaper journalist reopened old wounds.

Asked how seriously he had considered playing for the country of his birth, the 31-year-old replied: "Not very.

"I'm sitting here as an Australia player - do we have to go over it every single time?"

That desire to wear the Baggy Green cap - a desire underlined by his decision to wear it in training in Perth - has both inspired and hindered Symonds in his international career.

A very different Symonds batting for Gloucestershire in 1995

Although he has played some stunning innings for the world champions in one-day cricket, he has struggled to establish himself in the Test arena.

While he nearly has 4,000 runs to his name in the shorter form of the game, his statistics in Tests do not match up.

Only 286 runs have come in 15 Test innings at a disappointing average of 19.06, which he puts down to the pressure to succeed.

"You're just so keen to do well, it's hard to just go out there and play," he explained.

"You're not playing backyard cricket, you're playing for Australia so it's not necessarily that simple.

"The hype and build-up to Test cricket is different, it's more intense.

"For whatever reason, I've been sucked into that in the past when I should just go out and enjoy myself."

Damien Martyn's retirement and the hamstring injury which continues to keep Shane Watson on the sidelines have created an opening in Australia's Test line-up and Symonds is desperate to fill it.

"I had the Baggy Green in my hand a few days ago and smelt it. I love the smell - it smells of sweat and beer."

It was spoken like a true Aussie and Symonds is hoping his Test performances in the next few days will bury the England issue once and for all.