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Cooking a world class innings

Ace batsman Matthew Hayden, who was in Kochi last week, rustles up a dish as easily as he scores runs

ON A NEW WICKET Family, friends, fishing and cricket are some of Matthew Hayden's favourites PHOTO: H. VIBHU

Like most modern-day cricketers, Matthew Hayden has begun to find that travel is taking its toll. It was not so a couple of years back. This tall, powerful, friendly Aussie loved travelling, meeting people, playing cricket in those exotic locations and the best part of it, all learning about the cuisines from the different cultures. In Kochi, as sports patron to the newly inaugurated Global Public School, one found out that Hayden is more than a great opening batsman, a very keen cook.

Food buff

"Food is a powerful reminder of the roads I have travelled. It reflects a city's culture... ' he wrote in the introduction of `The Matthew Hayden Cookbook,' which came out last December. It has stories and recipes gathered by the cricketer from his tours, some from his grandmother and a few special ones from Sri Lanka, India and the Caribbean. "I love to see people and life unfold. One good thing about being an international cricketer is that it opens doors to many such interesting experiences. But with the crammed programming of cricket tours, hectic schedules, one tends to turn weary. From last year it has been travelling and playing almost without a break.

The Australian team has played five Tests in, say, the last five weeks in extreme conditions. We went into the first Test match against Bangladesh without a proper net session. People may say we are whining. Yes, we are in a way. All the discussions we had with the ICC on programming of tours have not really been fruitful. So, this whining and public statements," says the Aussie who recently topped a Wisden list of greatest batsmen of the past 10 years, beating such names as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting.

Hayden also sounded a warning, if the present system of programming continued: "Teams will not be able to field their best players in every game. Take India. I'm sure Rahul Dravid is going to miss a few more games. You will have to decide if you want your best side playing in every game or not. And for the players it is always sad not to play. We had guys who shouldn't have taken the field because they were exhausted, fatigued by the time we came to the end of the Test series in Bangladesh. It was for us the end of a long journey that began with the Champions Trophy in Holland."

Team Australia

The Aussies huffed and puffed against Bangladesh, but pulled through at the final lap to keep their champions tag intact. It was another show of the Aussie resilience, their uncanny ability to come good when the chips are down. There is something more than the oft-bandied `professionalism,' some magic that makes this Aussie side perform so consistently. What is it? "It is all about `mateship'. It works culturally in what we do. We are a side of remarkably talented players who have that element to rise to a challenge and perform under pressure. We are big-match players who bond well. It is all about playing as a team."

An authoritative yet level headed southpaw, Hayden had cemented a place in the side, both in Tests and one-dayers. With an extended slump of form, that continued right through the Ashes, this premier batsman still managed to come with those occasional three-figure knocks in Test matches. But it cost him his place in the one-day squad. However, Hayden is confident of making a comeback. "I'm too good a player to be kept out of the side for long," this prominent member of the 2003 World Cup winning side says with a smile.

Most of the Aussies are late bloomers, like Hayden and more recently, Mike Hussey, in the international scene. This keeps one wondering where they were all the while. "This happens because we have an extremely competitive domestic circuit where to be noticed one has to be exceptionally consistent and good. For the batsmen in this circuit an average of 30 or 40 is not enough. They aim for something like 50 and 60, with some of them even coming close to achieving this. Even someone who plays international cricket may find these domestic matches trying. Only those who stand up to this competition consistently gets a call to the national side."

After the Bangladesh tour, for the next four months or so, the Aussie cricketers get a welcome break. Hayden hopes to make the best of this time. "This will do us a lot of good before the Champions Trophy in India, the Ashes and the World Cup. It will help us recharge and revitalise for the tours ahead. And for me it will be the time to get back to form. We will be having a spring camp where all of us will get together at the Australian Cricket Academy in Brisbane. Then we'll also have a pre-team camp. It will also allow me and my mates to spend time with our families."

Time for families, friends, food and fishing, which, for Matthew Hayden, is the line up in his long innings as a great sportsman.

K. PRADEEP

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