When Lara took back his mark of highest Test score in a single innings, there was a sense that a certain sporting justice had been done, that a display like that from Lara against England was a more fitting record than a score plundered against a feeble Zimbabwe.
Maybe it was Hayden's character.
"At the end of the day, two alpha dogs are never going to sit in a cage and not look at each other," he once said. "It is what it is. The way I see my cricket, if you're the other alpha dog, you better not blink."
What some would see as a feisty combativeness is to others an unpleasant bellicosity.
"I don't mean to be arrogant, but if we 're executing our skills there's not a side that can get close to us," he said famously before the 2005 Ashes, ensuring England fans would celebrate his dismal run of scores until the final Test (12, 34, 1, 31, 34, 36, 7, 26) with immense glee.
Then there were the spats with Harbhajan Singh. As a cricketer against India, Hayden was sometimes supreme - those 549 runs there in 2001 remain an Australian record for a three-match series - but as a man he could be small-minded.
Would Bradman, Border or Harvey call an opposition player, particularly one who had dismissed him more times than any other bowler, "an obnoxious little weed" on national radio?
ALL TIME GREAT IS A JOKE....He pummelled many attacks. But all those attacks were not at all challenging. Hayden is more known for his off the field antiques such as asking Ishant to come into a boxing ring...why? Bec he sledged? Then how many Oz should come into boxing ring? It is common for cricket australia to put an over dose in public about themselves. They have a habit of giving mantle to spoilt brats. From Steve Waugh to Micheal Clarke. Hayden, not so great after all as his average may sound great but the class is average.
The comments just go towards showing how ignorant and nauseatingly self-congratulary the present Aussie bunch is.
If, as Ponting suggests, having a great average is the criterion for greatness, then Sir Jack Hobbs and his opening partner, Herbert Sutcliffe are already miles ahead of Hayden!
For sheer devastating effect, even against outstanding bowling attacks, I don't know who can match Haynes and Greenidge. And what about Gavaskar, the greatest portion of whose career coincided with the era of the greatest fast bowlers ever?
Re: No doubt.....
by anand yni on Jan 13, 2009 10:00 PM
What are his statistics, viz, No of tests/innings playes, runs scored, remained Not out and average runs per innings?
Re: No doubt.....
by Mature Stud on Jan 14, 2009 02:17 AM
What a baseless comment. Also, the greatness comes with talent, humility and respest for the game and opposition. Hayden obviously lacked most of it.. Aver good article about Haydon on BBC that you may qnt to read..
