Durban, May 14 (Inditop) Chennai Super Kings opener Matthew Hayden has said retirement from international cricket has acted as the catalyst for his golden run in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
The powerful Australian, who quit international cricket last year, has been destroying all bowling attacks in IPL. He has piled up 426 runs at an average of 47.33 at a cracking strike rate of 151, in nine games. He is the current holder of the Orange cap for being the tournament’s top run-scorer.
“The only reason that I’m playing the way I am now is because I have retired. I have been able to let go of the fact that I don’t want to play international cricket,” he was quoted as saying in Cricinfo.
“I know that I have only got a very short time playing cricket in this particular period, so I’ve got all my mind, skills and fitness towards the IPL, which is not the case with most other international players, as they will have to head straight to the Twenty20 World Cup and other international series, right after this tournament.”
Hayden, who enjoys a pay package of $375,000, did not hit a cricket ball for almost three months after calling time on his brilliant career until just one week before the second season of the IPL started.
His decided to exit international cricket after prolonged form slump that started with last year’s IPL.
Thanks to this 37-year-old, Super Kings have recovered from a slow start to record five straight wins and are currently well poised to charge into the semi-finals.
Hayden is balancing the three-hour matches by going surfing to keep himself in an ideal state of mind.
“During this tournament I’ve spent more time on the Ocean than I have on a cricket field,” he confessed.
“It does give me an edge, because in a tournament which is played over half a day and when you play every other day, there is a lot of time spent on thinking cricket. You need to have a balance in life.”
rounak