Matthew Hayden on Australia pay dispute and the TNPL 2

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden is in the country for a promotional event and caught up with the media. The iconic player visited Madurai ahead of the second season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). In fact, pictures of him relishing on some authentic Indian food down South are also doing rounds on social media.

Hayden talked about a range of issues from pay dispute between Cricket Australia and its players to the Ashes tour. His take on the yet to be resolved pay dispute between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), is that the matter should be nipped in the bid at the soonest and that the concerned people can make some wise decisions.

“I hope the matter gets sorted out soon. The players being the second stake-holders after the fans would certainly want a share of the pie. There are some wise heads on both sides (ACA & CA) who can make sure that the new financial model, which is the bone of contention, can be as successful as it was for the past two decades.” Hayden told The Hindu exclusively.

Similarities with the West Indies Cricket Board 

In 2016, there was a similar pay dispute between West Indies Cricket Board and its players. However, despite not having any backing from their board, they had participated in the World T20 last year and put up an inspired performance to win the championship.

When Hayden was asked his take on the similarity in the pay dispute between the two boards, he said, “The Australian players are yet to miss a tour compared to the West Indies team. The next tour is the ODI series against India by which time I hope the dispute should get over.”

The Ashes uncertainty 

The biggest worry for Australia, however, is the Ashes tour. If the pay dispute is not resolved anytime soon, the biggest rivalry on the calendar may have to be called off. Or, a weaker team may be fielded against the tough England side.

“The problem is it might not even be a set of domestic players as they are also part of the dispute. That is the reason the Australian ‘A’ team is not going to South Africa. So if things don’t get solved, the team for the Ashes might have to be a set of club players which is just not feasible,” Hayden explained.

High hopes from T Natarajan 

When asked about the upcoming season of TNPL, Hayden praised T. Natarajan, saying he had a good season last year.

“I expect the TNPL to be much more competitive this year. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has done a really good job in getting the tournament going. A player like T. Natarajan, who had a excellent season last year, was picked in the IPL this year. Even though he didn’t get much of a chance, being a part of it would have done him a world of good.”