13 May,2009 03:48 PM IST | | PTI
Australian opener Matthew Hayden has credited his sizzling form in the Indian Premier League to his international retirement, saying that being free from "never-ending cricket" has helped him remain fresh for the Twenty20 event.
"The only reason that I'm playing the way I am now is because I have retired. I have been able to let go of the fact that I don't want to play international cricket," he told 'Cricinfo'.
"I know that I've only got a very short time playing cricket in this particular period, so I've got all my mind, skills and fitness towards the IPL," he added.
Hayden said many of his peers' form and fitness gets affected by playing continuous cricket.
"This is not the case with most other international players, who know they will leave this tournament and head straight to the Twenty20 World Cup, and then another international series, then the domestic cricket next summer - it is just never-ending cricket," he said.
In nine matches for the Chennai Super Kings, Hayden has scored 426 runs at an average of 47.33.
"During this tournament I've spent more time on the ocean than I have on a cricket field. It does give me an edge, because in a tournament which is played over half a day and when you play every other day, there is a lot of time spent on thinking cricket. You need to have a balance in life," he said.
