Australian opener Matthew Hayden has indicated that he himself has doubts over his involvement in next years ashes series. I am sure that Hayden would love nothing more than to have the opportunity to finish his career with a victory against England in the ashes, but that is some way off yet.
Hayden's admission comes on the back of a poor series with the bat during Australia's recent tour of India. Australia, of course lost the series 2-0, the first series defeat since the Ashes in 2005.
Hayden is old enough and wise enough to know that international cricket is not to be taken for granted and is currently taking each test game by game.
Hayden knows there is a lot of cricket ahead of next years ashes tour and that he is no certainty for selection but is equally not writing himself and his chances of involvement in the series off.
"I reckon there is a chance of that always. When you get to my age, you get to a point where the next 12 months is a long, long way away. But having said that, I have been really process-driven right the way through my career," said Hayden.
"It's all been about how I was going to present myself for this Test match and whether I was in good shape to play. I feel like both of those are crossed off. Both (wife) Kellie and I have really kept it as simple as that," Hayden told the 'Herald Sun'.
Hayden also said he needs to ask himself whether he has the urge and the fire in his belly to represent Australia. "There are two answers that I need to say to myself before I present myself for Australia. One of them is, am I willing to make the sacrifices to be the best athlete I can be, whatever that takes?"
And the second is, is that fire burning within me to play good cricket for Australia - or anyone else that I'll be playing for, for that matter."
Any athlete, no matter how good they once were, needs drive, ambition and application to succeed. Hayden will, I'm sure be the first to know when that has gone.
Posts
|