Hayden to retire

Updated on: 13 January,2009 08:31 AM IST |
Khalid A-H Ansari | smdmail@mid-day.com

The sun will set this morning on the career of Matthew Hayden, one of Australia's greatest opening batsmen.

Hayden to retire

END OF THE ROAD: Matthew Hayden

The 37-year-old was expected to announce his retirement from international cricket at a press conference early today. (Australian Eastern Time is 5 u00bd hours ahead of IST at this time of year).

According to the Brisbane Times, Hayden will be given a rousing farewell during a lap of honour at tonight's second Twenty20 match between Australia and South Africa at the Gabba.

Hayden said after his last Test innings in Sydney last week, when he was left out of Australia's one-day and Twenty20 squads, that he would take time out to consider his future (KHALIDOSCOPE Jan. 8).

The exciting batsman's exit has come on the heels of a wretched season, that has seen him average a paltry 19.5 with the bat in the just-concluded series against South Africa, which the world champions lost 2-1.

Hayden, the church-going, devoted father of three, started his illustrious career rather tentatively but blossomed into the most feared batsman in all three forms of the game. He scored 8,625 runs in 103 Tests at an average of 50.73.

In 2003, he set a then world Test record for the highest score in an innings with his 380 against Zimbabwe at the WACA ground in Perth.

The left-handed Queenslander also played 161 one-day internationals at 43.80. A key member of Australia's 2003 and 2007 World Cup champion teams, Hayden's unbeaten 181 in ODIs is an Australian record.

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