Aussie Captain Backs Hayden For the Ashes 2009

Australian captain Ricky Ponting has given Aussie opener Matthew Hayden his full support and backing after the openers latest couple of failure's against New Zealand in the recent Test victory over the black caps. These two failures with the bat come on the back of a poor tour to India for Hayden, who admitted last week that his place in the baggy green line up was by no means assured.

Hayden's poor form with the bat has led to great speculation in the Australian media whether or not Hayden will be good enough to partake in next years Ashes series.

The 37 year old batsman who is preparing to play his 100th test match in Adelaide next weekend should gain a degree of confidence after his skipper declared Hayden as the best opener in the country. Ponting also went on to predict that Hayden would celebrate his 100th appearance for Australia in style.

Ponting feels that Matthew Hayden still has the desire and hunger to compete at test level and feels that Hayden will be a key figure during next years ashes tour.

"I feel skills-wise and hunger-wise Matthew Hayden is still my best opener," said Ponting.

"I have seen how hungry Matty is. I think anyone batting in the top order can be excused for their batting here. The ball he got in the second innings would get any player in the world out first ball."

Hayden only got 8 in the 1st innings against New Zealand before getting a peach of a first ball delivery from Chris Martin in the 2nd.

"The pleasing thing for me about it is I got down here early the next day and Matty makes me bring him a coffee from the hotel," Ponting said.

"I put the coffee on his seat because I did not think he was at the ground but he was in the indoor nets already and he had been there for nearly an hour.

"That said to me that real hunger was still there. He has always been one to work extremely hard on his game if he feels there is something not quite right.

"I know Matthy's game as well as anyone because I played so long with him. I have picked things up about the way he thinks and the way he plays and he will say `how did you know that?"

"I haven't seen anything to suggest he is not as good as he used to be. It is only a couple of Tests ago he made a terrific 80. He got a couple of poor decisions in India and when you are not scoring as many runs as you like those things tend to add up pretty quickly.

"I wouldn't be reading too much into Matty's form. He has his 100th Test this week. I know having been there and done that it is one of those things in my career I was most proud of.

"He can reap the benefits of the work he has done this week and I wouldn't be surprised if you see another really good score."

Australia will need all the experience they can get for next years Ashes series, particularly to help support the younger players who are in the process of establishing themselves as international test cricketers, but at the same time Australia cannot afford to carry any particular player in the squad. Everyone will have to earn their place!

As crucial as the home and away test series against South Africa is for Australia's build up to the Ashes, you can't help to think that, that particular series will decide if Matthew Hayden joins the touring ashes party to England next summer or not.

Hayden - The Ashes 2009 No Certainty

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.