By Adam Cooper
December 24th 2008 @ 2:16am
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Australia retain faith in Hayden’s form, future
Australia insist out-of-sorts opener Matthew Hayden is not ready to retire and wants to take part in their two major tours of 2009.
But their confidence in him snapping his doldrums is based largely on the hope he can continue his phenomenal record at the MCG, a venue he will be pleased to return to for the second Test against South Africa.
Hayden’s lean 2008 has prompted speculation the 37-year-old is considering beating a selection axe by stepping down on his own terms.
But teammate Mike Hussey said Hayden had not spoken about retiring, while coach Tim Nielsen wanted the Queenslander’s experience for next year’s demanding tours of South Africa and England.
“My understanding and talking to Matthew is he’s committed to playing for Australia,” Nielsen said.
“Matthew is one of the finest players that Australia has ever produced … so you certainly want those players around your team whenever you can have them, they don’t grow on trees.
“It’s important that when you are playing the big sides you have your best team available and when Matthew’s playing at his best he is a huge bonus for us.”
Out of form, Hayden has been a worry.
His past 13 innings have yielded 282 runs at 23.50, so he will relish a return to the MCG, where he averages 76.57 from nine matches.
It is that remarkable record that has Australia hopeful Hayden can regain his touch and set the launch pad for a victory they must achieve to keep the series alive.
“We always count runs and we’d like him to be making more runs than he is at the moment, but if he can get through that early period like all opening batsman and get a start this week, he will show his true colours,” Neilsen said.
“He’s made (six) hundreds in the last (seven) Test matches here and we’re looking forward to him doing that again this week.”
Hussey warned against writing off a champion, as Hayden would “definitely” post a big score soon.
Hayden’s struggles and those of fast bowler Brett Lee, 32, show Australia are still to complete their period of player exodus, which already includes the losses of Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill in a little over two years.
With Ricky Ponting, Hussey, Simon Katich, Andrew Symonds and Stuart Clark all 33 or over, Australia could shed even more players sooner rather than later.
But Nielsen was adamant improved fitness and management for players meant Australia could stagger their next wave of retirees.
“Yeah, we’ve got some older guys, but also Katich and these sort of guys who are 32, 33, they’re still young bodies,” Nielsen said.
“It’s a different game to what it was in 1980 or even 1990 when I played.
“Being 30 now and the support you get around the team means you can play until you’re 37 or 38, so I expect they’ll play for two, three or four more years yet.”
South African coach Mickey Arthur, whose side in Perth boasted five played aged 25 or younger compared to Australia’s two (bowlers Peter Siddle and Jason Krejza), was determined the scrutiny on the home side would not influence his side’s performance.
“We can’t let the opposition or the media or the public or the hype distract us,” he said.
“We’re a very focused unit at the moment and that’s the way we need to remain.”
The Melbourne Cricket Club said ticket sales had been strong in the lead-up to Boxing Day, predicting a first-day crowd of about 70,000.
Fine and sunny conditions have been forecast.
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Spiro Zavos said | December 24th 2008 @ 8:14am | Report comment
The selectors will probably need to steel themselves to drop Matthew Hayden at some stage in the lead up or during the Ashes series. At age 37 he is unlikely to get better in his batting, especially as an opener. His slips fielding is valuable but since he has stopped or modified his overly aggressive sledging, his influence on the field is greatly diminished.
There seems to be an air of complacency in the Australian cricket camp that all Hayden needs is one more innings. He may get his one more innings but the days of him dominating openiong attacks consistently are gone.
As for the selectors having the nerve to take hard decisions, what do we make of Australia Cricket renewing Tim Neilsen’s contract into 2011?
There hasn’t been a noticeable improvement in the strategy, tactics and play of the Australian side since Neilsen took over.
So why renew his contract? It’s not as though he is being courted with huge offers from around the world?
Ben said | December 24th 2008 @ 9:10am | Report comment
Australian cricket is going the way of the Wallabies over the past 6 years. Still living on past glories with players well past their used by date.
Think the 2003 RWC semi-final - Aust v NZ. Stirling Mortlock’s intercept that scored the try in the first half and effectively put us through to the final was the worst thing that could have happened to Australian rugby - we’re still paying the price. If we’d have lost, Eddie Jones, Gregan, Larkham (probably) would have gone/retired/been pushed, but instead stuck around far too long.
Australian cricket is too scared to make tough decisions. The age old saying - it’s harder to get out of the national team than get in it is starting to reign true. It’s really time for tough decisions that will set our side up for success for the next 10 years. (That’s basically what happened under Alan Border). There’s a range of things that could or should happen:
- Coaching - Tim Nielsen??? Dunno, but he needs some hard core support around him. Dennis Lillee as the full-time fast bowling coach, and draft in either Shane Warne or Stu MacGill as a full-time spin coach.
- Selectors - Andrew Hilditch wtf!!! If you could get someone like Steve Waugh or AB as a national selector (again) then we’re on the right track. Am I right in thinking that Merve Hughes is still a selector???? Seriously, the guy’s a boofhead. Without him, we definitely would have won the 2005 Ashes, Tait would never have been picked ahead of MacGill
- Bowling - blood a young spinner now and give him a real crack. None of the spinners being selected at the moment are our long term options. I’m thinking it has to be a wrist spinner, anyone can bowl finger spin with a bit of practice. Leave this to the all-rounders. Plus - Nathan Bracken??? I’d have him in the side right now to plug the Stuart Clark hole and patch for Brett Lee until he (hopefully) finds form. Isn’t someone like Bracken going to be necessary in England for the Ashes with his ability to swing - even reverse swing the ball.
- Batting - Hayden’s judgement in not retiring up to now surely signifies his lost judgement on the field. Time for a tough decision, gotta go.
James Mortimer said | December 24th 2008 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Agree completely with Spiro and Ben.
Hayden is out of form - and has been for a long time. Part of the reason for Australia’s grip on world power has been their ability to forge successful opening partnerships. That is not happening. So stop being loyal to Hayden. Players with just as impressive records have been dropped.
And agree with approach of Neilson - why renew the contract of a coach whose team is losing, irrespective of the players form. But more to the point, it is one of the jobs of the coaches to inspire players such as Hayden or Lee, and clearly this is not happening. Good coaches don’t just say their sticking with their players. Realistically Tim should be leading the charge to bring in new blood to the team.
It’s a interesting comparison with the AUS/NZ WC semi. When NZ lost that game, despite having a good team and a good coach, the NZRU made the tough decision and dumped. The All Blacks and Australian cricket team were always comparable for their ability to ensure their team was ruthlessly managed and as a consequence, both sides have always been perenial world powers.
But this cannot be said any longer about Australia.
But beyond batting and Hayden, Australia’s most glaring issue is their lack of ability to take 20 wickets. Clearly there is a crisis, but I don’t think this decaying model of Australian cricket knows what to do……
Rabbitz said | December 24th 2008 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Seriously I had to laugh at some of the stories on the newspaper websites about Hayden announcing he was going to “bat on”. Since when was that a players decision? Don’t the board and the selectors select the team any more?
FFS, they need to bone any player who isn’t performing, regardless of who it is, send ‘em back to shield cricket and promote an inform shield player. Isn’t that what the shield competition is all about?
Harry said | December 24th 2008 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
If Jacques can prove himself fit, I’m sure Hayden will get the tap on the shoulder and announce that “for the long term good of the Australian test side he has decided to step down after the Sydney test”.
if the selectors need any further prompting, have a look at Hayden’s track record in England - not great - and Jacques has scored a mountain of county runs.
Agree with Ben pointing out the simialrities to the Wallabies. We use to get the same guff from Gregan …I will decide when George Gregan calls it a day - not the selectors” built on a sense of entitlement and, lets face it, guaranteed healthy income, far more than one can garner fornm the coffee shops or cook books. Although in both players cases, they have the big money retiremnt plans - Toulouse and Japan for Gregan, IPL for Hayden - to set them and their families up for life post playing.
And I actually think an out-of-form/past it Hayden in the test team is a huge incentive and bonus for opponents - he has irritated them all so much in the past they are queing up to extract revenenge while he’s still around, but as a greatly diminished force.
LeftArmSpinner said | December 24th 2008 @ 7:11pm | Report comment
hayden’s time is up. Sadly the selectors dont have the balls to make the tough decision. each game’s delay costs the replacement a game and possibly two innings to get used to Test cricket.
LeftArmSpinner said | December 27th 2008 @ 7:37am | Report comment
Well, he failed again, with a poor shot, at an inappropriate time. The game comes first, not the whims of one player. As good a player as he has been, there are more important things at stake, namely the ashes!!!!!