Double World Cup winner (2003, 2007) Matthew Lawrence Hayden spoke to The Telegraph from Brisbane on Saturday afternoon.
One of the most destructive openers across formats, the 47-year-old Hayden is back home after many hours of studio work both in the build-up to and during the first week of the 2019 World Cup.
Hayden finished his International career, in 2008-2009, with a very impressive average of over 50.00 in Tests and T20Is. In ODIs, he ended on 43.80. In other words, Hayden held sway in all three formats.
Excerpts...
Q Many would say Australia were lucky to beat the West Indies at Trent Bridge (by 15 runs) the other day...
A The reality is that the best sides find a way to win. Unfortunate for the West Indies, but Australia just hung in there. At times you have to do that... Must say it was lovely to see tall, strong fast bowlers from the West Indies work up some pace. They were aggressive. Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer are very good batsmen and men like Oshane Thomas and Sheldon Cottrell can impact with the new ball. World cricket is stronger when the West Indies are competitive. They were on Thursday.
Q But the umpiring left so much to be desired. Your thoughts?
A When technology is there, use it and use it well.
Q Australia have won both their matches so far. Where would you rate them on a scale of 10?
A Look, Australia have beaten Afghanistan and the West Indies, but the first real heavyweight contest will be against India, on Sunday. India and England are the heavyweight teams, besides Australia. So, maybe, you should ask me this question on Monday morning.
Q How are you viewing the India vs Australia match?
A Against England, Pakistan played good cricket for 90 of the 100 overs and that was good enough for a win. To beat India, Australia will have to play good cricket for all 100 overs. However, that’s not to say Aaron Finch and his men would be shivering in their boots. India wouldn’t either.
Q Some words on India...
A If Rohit Sharma has a good World Cup, and he has begun with an unbeaten hundred, then India could win it. No disrespect to the captain, Virat Kohli, but nobody would like him exposed to the new ball too soon... Rohit apart, India have a terrific new-ball bowler in Jasprit Bumrah. He’s right up there with the very best... Mitch Starc, Bumrah, Pat Cummins... All are of high class... I’m disappointed India’s selectors didn’t pick Rishabh Pant. He would have been India’s X factor. Omitting Pant has been a poor call.
Q India began their campaign, against South Africa, after some teams had already played two matches...
A I guess somebody had to start very late, allowing more time to acclimatise. At home, you only worry about the opposition. When away, and in a multi-nation competition, you worry on two counts: The opposition, which changes from match to match, and the different venues.
Q Key men for Australia?
A David Warner and Finch at the top... Starc... It’s with a reason that he’s the fastest to 150 ODI wickets (bettering Saqlain Mushtaq’s record).
Q For India?
A Rohit, Bumrah... The third, in my book, would be Kuldeep Yadav.
Q In a clash of heavyweights, what could make the difference at The Oval?
A Simple things like staying in the present. If you do that, the rest usually falls into place. Staying in the present is both an individual and collective thing... Also, in big competitions and in big matches, you have to seize the big moments. Otherwise, it could spell doom.
Q Handling pressure?
A I was coming to that... Under pressure, you need to stand up. Steve Smith and Nathan Coulter-Nile did just that in Trent Bridge... Their 102-run partnership for the seventh wicket took Australia to what became a winning 288... As we speak, an individual innings comes to mind — Andrew Symonds’s 143 not out against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. Under pressure, he played the innings of a lifetime, taking Australia from 86 for four to 310 for eight.
Q How much rests on the respective captains, Virat and Finch?
A A fair bit, but the good thing about both teams is that there’s a squadron of leaders... Vice-captain Rohit, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan and I’d say Bumrah... Finch has vice-captain Alex Carey, Cummins, Smith, Warner... Experience matters, leadership within a group matters. In fact, you need leadership from the management point as well... From the head coach.
Q To talk of recent form... India won the ODI series in Australia, while Australia stunned India at home. Will that actually have a bearing?
A The easy answer is no, but it’s not the absolute answer.
Q If you had $10 to spare, who would you put your money on?
A Those $10 would be... On Australia!
[Going purely by statistics, Australia have a 77-49 advantage over India. However, there’s no point reading plenty into that.]
Q Smith and Warner’s return to the Australia dressing room, after the scandal in Cape Town in March 2018, appears to have been a smooth affair. Your comments?
A That head coach Justin Langer has played a huge role. He commands respect.
Q Is there a team in this World Cup which excites you?
A Let’s say I love it when the West Indies turn up. The way they play, the way they celebrate. You enjoy their cricket.
Q Who, according to you, has been the biggest impact-making player in World Cups?
A Tough one... This is a tough one... Shane Warne had a brilliant World Cup in 1999, but was banned in 2003... Adam Gilchrist has had very good World Cups... Ricky Ponting played an integral role in Australia’s three wins in succession — 1999, 2003 and 2007... In 2003 and in 2007, Ricky was the captain. I’d probably hand that honour over to him... The World Cup puts some on the road to stardom, like Warner in 2015. This time, it could be a Kuldeep.
Q Besides the skill element, what goes into winning a World Cup?
A Quality... Quality players who serve as ingredients of a quality team. Like the one Australia had for almost a decade from 1999... Personally, I was privileged to be a member of World Cup-winning XIs in 2003 and in 2007. It was an era when Australia had so many greats. An awesome period... It’s significant that four of the last five World Cups have been won by Australia, with India breaking the sequence in 2011.
Q Three openers you will be following with, perhaps, more interest than the others over the next five weeks...
A Warner most definitely, Jason Roy for sure... Of course, Rohit as well.
Q One more... Your pick for the four semi-final berths?
A England, India, Australia... New Zealand would be frontrunners for the fourth spot in a three-way race (with the West Indies and Pakistan).
(From left) David Warner, Rohit Sharma and Jason Roy Telegraph file and agency pictures