Sehwag compels people to watch the game: Hayden

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Sehwag compels people to watch the game: Hayden

CHENNAI: Back in India for the second edition of the Indian Premier League, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden on Friday attributed India's growing stature in Tests and ODIs to the IPL and the country's Twenty20 World Cup triumph.

"India was focused towards Tests and ODIs but the win in the T20 World Cup has changed all that and the IPL has brought out some excellent players," said Hayden, who addressed the media after his training session with the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, in Chennai on Friday.

The burly left-hander, who retired from international cricket after the third Test against South Africa in January following a string of sub-par performances, said he would be missing the Chepauk stadium after the IPL was shifted to South Africa since its dates were clashing with the Lok Sabha elections.

"I am really disappointed, I will be missing Chepauk," said the 37-year-old Hayden.

However, he said fans can expect fireworks in South Africa where small grounds and high altitude will ensure tall scores.

"Bowlers will have a chance there (in South Africa) but small grounds and high altitude will ensure high scores there too," he said, adding that the IPL will "take the game to a wider audience".

Having been there and done that, Hayden's job would be to guide the juniors in the Chennai Super Kings team which had finished runners-up in the inaugural year.

"As a senior player I will always be around to help them and also continue to contribute," said the left-handed batsman who has to his credit a double century here.

Hayden also praised Virender Sehwag and termed the swashbuckling batsman as a huge crowd puller.

"Sehwag is an awesome talent with a great track record. He is a player who compels people to watch the game."

Talking about his retirement, Hayden said, "I was forced to play too many roles. There was a lot of pressure but I have always enjoyed it and performed well when I was under the scanner. As a professional athlete you have to be selfish sometimes and single minded, after sometime the intensity goes down and that is the time to quit.

"I have had no press conferences to attend. I am relaxed, working on my fitness and getting strong."

He also felt Australia have come back strongly ever since the Test and ODI series loss at home to South Africa.

"They have come back strongly," Hayden said about the Ricky Ponting-led side that clinched the Test series in South Africa 2-1 and retained their supremacy in the ICC Test Championship.


Source: TOI

Katich anchors Aussies, Ponting joins 10k-run club

St John's (Antigua): Simon Katich fashioned his third Test hundred and overshadowed the 10,000-run milestone of captain Ricky Ponting to lead a solid Australia batting performance in the second Test against West Indies on Friday.
Katich was undefeated on 113 as Australia, choosing to bat on a hard, docile pitch, reached 259 for three in their first innings when bad light stopped play eight overs early on the opening day of the inaugural Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground. The venue has became the 11th ground to host Tests in the Caribbean and the 98th in the world.

Katich reached his landmark when he drove his 197th delivery from Dwayne Bravo languidly through mid-on for his eighth boundary.

But Katich was fortunate that Runako Morton dropped the straightforward chance he offered on 90.

The left-hander, promoted to open the batting in the absence of the injured Matthew Hayden, tried a cut, failed to keep the ball down, and it flew straight into Morton's lap, and the fielder floored it.

Katich, however, had to share centrestage with Ponting. The Australia captain supported with a serene knock of 65 which made him the seventh batsman to pass 10,000 runs in Tests.
Ponting drove a full length delivery outside the off-stump from Ramnaresh Sarwan through extra cover for two to move to 61 and reach the milestone about 15 minutes after the tea break.
West Indies had a scare early in the morning, when Edwards slid on the fresh pitch, as he was about to deliver his first ball of the Test. The fast bowler recovered to continue his opening spell, but he bowled raggedly, and the Aussies were able to get away to a sound start.

After lunch, Katich and Ponting completed contrasting half-centuries to build a solid platform for Australia.

Making full use of the plu-perfect conditions, the pair carried Australia to 151 for one at the tea break.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/katich-anchors-aussies-as-ponting-joins-10000run-club/31916-13.html

IPL not behind Hayden breakdown: CA

MELBOURNE: Underfire for allowing its key players in the Indian Premier League after an injured Matthew Hayden was forced to return from the tour of the West Indies, Cricket Australia on Friday refused to admit the Twenty20 show was a reason for flaring up of the opener's achilles tendon.

Defending CA's decision to permit its cricketers to play in the IPL, its spokesman Peter Young said the risks of releasing players to the IPL were the same as the once-traditional pilgrimage to England every winter.

"Matthew has had achilles tendinitis for quite a long while and people are used to him packing it with ice," Young said.

"If he had stayed home cooling his heels, the medicos say there is still a chance that he could still have had exactly the same outcome," he was quoted as saying by the 'Herald Sun' .

Hayden complained of the injury at the team's pre-tour camp in Brisbane earlier this month, but it's understood the problem is more the result of wear and tear than a sudden setback, reports the Herald Sun. But his serious achilles tendon - a long-time issue - flared while playing in the IPL, the report says.

"Clearly, the four matches he played for Chennai, scoring 189 runs at 63 off 131 balls, were enough to do some damage and effectively stop the champion opening batsman from fulfilling his contractual.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL_not_behind_Hayden_breakdown_CA/articleshow/3086488.cms

Cricket Australia unlikely to review IPL policy due to Hayden

ANI Wednesday, May 21, 2008 11:29:35 PM

Cricket Australia (CA) is unlikely to review its policy vis-a-vis loaning its players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) in spite of opener Mathew Hayden receiving an Achilles heel injury while playing the tournament.According to The Australian, Hayden has been rated as having only a 50-50 chance of playing Australia's first Test against the Wes Indi es in Kingston, Jamaica, from Thursday. The 36-year-old Queensland opening batsman is almost certain to be ruled out as he has been struggling with an Achilles tendon injury that surfaced three weeks ago during his brief stint with the Chennai Super Kings."In doing the IPL exercise, we were always conscious that (injury) was one of the risks with it," said CA public affairs manager Peter Young.

"Having said that ... it's possible (Hayden) may be where he is now even if he hadn't gone to IPL. It's a common issue (injury) and it's the sort of thing that commonly arises with players that go and play English county cricket. I don't think the rigours of Twenty20 are a particular issue. The stress and strain on a top-class batsman like Matthew Hayden is far more rigorous in a Test match where he has to bat for sustained periods and field for sustained periods," Young added.
Physio Alex Kountouris said the cause of Hayden's injury was simply wear and tear over a 15-year career.

"It was actually doing fitness work, he was doing some routine running that he does as part of his conditioning and he just started to feel it. He has had other tendon problems in the past so it wasn't a surprise to us. To be honest he's not the only one with tendon problems in the team. You would find at least half of them would have some sort of tendon injury. It is a bit of luck to be honest, some people get away with them and some don't," Kountouris said.

Now in the twilight of a remarkable career, Hayden may soon have to reconsider his own playing commitments if he wants to continue to next year's Ashes series, with the possibility he may have to focus solely on Test cricket to give his body adequate rest.

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/news/news_20080521_440.html