Matthew Hayden: The Clock’s Ticking

With men like Matthew Hayden, Rahul Dravid or Jacques Kallis, these players can simply not be dropped or rested when in a slump. At their age, it is either get on with it or get out, as cruel as is the norm.
In the cold harsh reality, Hayden performances are unlike Australia. In fact if anything, they indicate the times and results of the Australian team. There was a time when Australia were simply undefeatable because of the enormous power wielded between the top three in the batting line up. It was always one obstacle or the other that ensured other teams never enjoyed putting a foot in the door.
Matthew Hayden’s heel injury meant that he returned to Australian duty by touring India upon the recuperation programme. But recovery or not, the runs simply refused to come. The falling star is not always a glorious sight. The man who made 380 against Zimbabwe and made other teams pay with a lot less looked shoddy as he went chasing a target that Australia were out of depth to do. It opened up a can of worms to see such an aggressive, assertive bludgeoner of the ball look so clumsy at the crease.
His tryst continued, right through the India tour and only became worse in front of a South African team that simply refused to cave in to seeming hurdles. Instead they decided to inflict more pain, crushing Hayden and Australia’s forward step even before they put they foot on the ground.
Hayden did try to break the shackles; it was evident in his brief stay at the crease today in Australia’s fourth innings that failed to get off the blocks. It is not just his form that is the worry; it is his desperation. The confident bludgeoner reduced to something of a chained creature trying hard to go further than the length of the chain only to find itself bound. That cut a sorry story. And in that perhaps, is the discomfort and sadness of watching him grope his way where he earlier tore through mountains is perhaps what is calling for former players to say he is past his prime and that is time to go. The selectors are trying to help Hayden arrive at a decision they do not want to be forced to make. For some, his age at thirty-seven, they feel, is enough.
To some, it is not a question of whether Australia can afford to lose him? It is a question of - can they afford to play him?

Some much in the retirement. Don’t believe? Just sample this array of stories related to player retirements:

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