Sydney: Recent failures to score runs by Australian opener Matthew Hayden has put his Test future in doubts with retirement whispers growing that he may not last to fulfill his dream to play a farewell Ashes tour in England next year. As Australia’s batting strongman failed again in Perth, his former opening partner Justin Langer admitted that he did not know what the future held for his best friend and is unsure if the struggling opener wants to play his farewell Ashes tour.
Hayden was once dubbed “Bradman with a suntan”, but now he’s just got the suntan, Fox Sports reported.
Hayden’s grand plan of a farewell Ashes tour needs an urgent injection of runs or it is in danger of imploding before his eyes.
“My gut feeling at the moment is … maybe he’s not sure. There are whispers about retirement. If he doesn’t know how long he’s going to go on for, that can become a distraction,” Langer told ABC radio.
“If he doesn’t, it’s going to become a bit of a grey area and he’s going to keep going through what, by his standards, is a rough patch. The most important thing is that if Matthew Hayden decides he wants to go to the Ashes then he will have clarity into the future,” he said.
“Great players, if they are clear in their mind then they always perform. As long as he knows what he is doing the runs will follow,” Langer added.
Hayden appears to be caught between two worlds. Part of him wants to blast his way out of his batting slump, like he tried in the second Test against India in Mohali and also against New Zealand in Adelaide.
Part of him wants to be circumspect, remembering that is how he came out of the dark days of his torment during the 2005 Ashes tour.
But whatever he tries, it simply doesn’t appear to be working. (ANI)
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