May 2006

“Flintoff carries England”

Matthew Hayden's comments on domination, defeat and the hand of God have caused a bit of a stir. Here's the original interview he gave to Edward Craig

Matt the bat: Hayden acknowledges the crowd © Getty Images

Is life simpler now you don't play one-day cricket?
I want to get back in the one-day team. The best players play both types. For me, it is incredibly frustrating that I am not playing, for no reason really. I want to get back in the side but I don't know how I can get back in.

Were you at the Wanderers in Johannesburg for that one-day game against South Africa?
I was there. It was an amazing game. I wished I was playing. The last time that we played there was the World Cup final, Adam Gilchrist and I were none for 74 off nine overs so it brought back incredible memories. It was a miracle that South Africa won the recent game.

They were too good, they were swinging and it was coming off. The great thing about playing for Australia is that other sides are inspired to play well against you. I think that was a classic case. For a long time we have been the top dogs and everyone is coming to get us. We have kept them at bay for a long time.

Was that what happened last summer? There is no question that England prepared for the series better than Australia. Our Ashes were India in 2004-05. It won't be like that next time round. I am definitely looking forward to November, just to play better cricket. We will play better cricket on our home turf.

What exactly went wrong in the Ashes? What went right? Nothing really, apart from the first Test. Warney was right - he had a fantastic series - he'll be devastating in Australia. Our batting was below where we want it to be. We were impatient, we were ahead of ourselves, especially after the first Test where we just smashed them.

Did England surprise you, the way they bounced back? We let them back in. This Australian side is an amazing side. England are a very good team but Australia are better. The records of the individuals alone reveal that. But we gained a lot of respect for England. Freddie Flintoff had an enormous series. I think he carries England and that is a big responsibility.

It was a good reminder for Australia to keep our standards, keep our levels. For the first time I enjoyed playing against England, there are some good characters in that side. Michael Vaughan and Freddie, Harmy and Hoggy, Jonesy - I just enjoyed playing against them. When England were led by Nasser, they weren't sociable, they were scared to talk. We felt that they were always reasonably arrogant - they had no character about them. Australia were pretty dismissive of that side and to the ones previous. This England side has a bit of spunk, they enjoy playing their cricket, they are good mates like we are.

There is no question that England prepared for the series better than Australia. Our Ashes were India in 2004-05. It won't be like that next time round

At what point did it go wrong?
After the first Test we had the momentum. Even in the one-day series, we tied the final at Lord's and won the other series comfortably. In the first Test we smashed them; in the second Test God himself reached down and plucked McGrath out of the pit. England gained momentum through the toss in that match but I was not surprised by Ricky's decision to field - it had been wet the whole week. More than anything it was the disruption with McGrath that cost us there. But what an amazing game of cricket it produced!

What has been the reaction in Australia?
Australia has had a 30% increase in cricket participation since the Ashes. It has taken Australia to lose a series to have that effect on the development of the game. It was good for the game. The average punter when we got home wasn't disappointed by the result so much as excited by the return series. We all have a lot to look forward to whether we are playing in it or not.

How will England get on?
It is our home in Australia. I am a lot less worried about facing the seamers at the Gabba or the WACA as that is where I grew up. There is pace and bounce but it is my turf - I understand those venues so well. I understand how hot it is. I reckon that could be a challenge; there are a lot of challenges in Australia. They are going to be confronted with a whole new level of excitement. It is our home and we are very proud of our record at home. It is going to be a good series.

What has been your career highlight?
India in 2004-05 for me - and I didn't have a particular great series. It is a sign that you are in a very good team. Also my partnerships with Alfie [Justin Langer] and others down the batting order - getting big partnerships is important for our team and important for me. If we have a huge stand I'm going to have a lot of runs anyway. That is the foundation and what let us down in the Ashes.

Why did the team not manage those big stands?
It was the way I was playing at the time. I think Alfie did a good job - he was up there among the leading run-scorers in the series. I was not on song really. I let our partnership down. Having said that, we always reached none for 60, which is better than 1 for 10.

© The Wisden Cricketer

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Matthew Hayden

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