damianhayden's career is over!
January 9th 2009 09:57
While Matthew Hayden's omission from the Australian ODI and T20i teams does not come as a shock to many who follow the game, it certainly is a sad chapter in the relentless efforts of Andrew Hilditch and his selectorial team to rebuild the shattered image of Australian cricket.
While many took the opportunity to reflect on the momentous contribution Hayden has made to Australian cricket, others were not so kind. Former Prime Minister John Howard blamed Hayden personally for Australia's 2005 Ashes defeat and added that Hayden must also bear a good deal of responsibility for America's intelligence failures in the leadup to 9/11 and the subsequent bungled invasion of Iraq. Had Hayden done more to promote cricket in Iraq, Howard was misquoted as saying, it may have been possible to smuggle intelligence operatives in to the country disguised as former international umpires Harold 'dickie' Bird and Steve Randall.
Taliban leader Mullah Omar also praised the foresight of the selectors, saying that Hayden had outstayed his welcome and was probably only a puppet player controlled by the Russian embassy.
These sort of outrageous assertions aside though, there has been a general outpouring of sympathy for Hayden, not least from his former opening partner Justin Langer. ''No comment", Langer was not quoted as saying when he was not contacted for comment, choosing to play the question more or less with a straight bat, although leaving a slight gap between bat and pad and being adjudged leg before to one that straightened down the line.
"I think it's about bloody time they got rid of the clowns who are opening the batting at the moment and put in Matty Hayden" said the campaign spokeswoman for the 'give Matt a bat' campaign, as she stormed off the field after being dismissed without scoring by a John Howard delivery that bounced seventeen times and performed a number of backflips before dislodging her off bail.
The inquiry into the axing of Hayden continues in the Senate tomorrow and can be watched live on ABC TV at 2pm, with a special question time in the lower house devoted to the subject to follow, simulcast on ABC news radio 1026 AM.
While many took the opportunity to reflect on the momentous contribution Hayden has made to Australian cricket, others were not so kind. Former Prime Minister John Howard blamed Hayden personally for Australia's 2005 Ashes defeat and added that Hayden must also bear a good deal of responsibility for America's intelligence failures in the leadup to 9/11 and the subsequent bungled invasion of Iraq. Had Hayden done more to promote cricket in Iraq, Howard was misquoted as saying, it may have been possible to smuggle intelligence operatives in to the country disguised as former international umpires Harold 'dickie' Bird and Steve Randall.
Taliban leader Mullah Omar also praised the foresight of the selectors, saying that Hayden had outstayed his welcome and was probably only a puppet player controlled by the Russian embassy.
These sort of outrageous assertions aside though, there has been a general outpouring of sympathy for Hayden, not least from his former opening partner Justin Langer. ''No comment", Langer was not quoted as saying when he was not contacted for comment, choosing to play the question more or less with a straight bat, although leaving a slight gap between bat and pad and being adjudged leg before to one that straightened down the line.
"I think it's about bloody time they got rid of the clowns who are opening the batting at the moment and put in Matty Hayden" said the campaign spokeswoman for the 'give Matt a bat' campaign, as she stormed off the field after being dismissed without scoring by a John Howard delivery that bounced seventeen times and performed a number of backflips before dislodging her off bail.
The inquiry into the axing of Hayden continues in the Senate tomorrow and can be watched live on ABC TV at 2pm, with a special question time in the lower house devoted to the subject to follow, simulcast on ABC news radio 1026 AM.
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