I already brought something to the table, which was brought before years ago in many different arguments. The other AUS posters in this thread had a fairly sane discussion about it, its only youself & Sanz - the non AUS supporters who are making the ludicrous comments.
DEAR GOD. SMFH.
For the one million. My view is that post is Hayden
WAS a FTB. Who at the back end of his test career (post Ashes 05) corrected that flaws which made him a FTB. Which is why i always pick him in my AUS ATXI, since he showed that key adaptability, that alot of other FTBs in the 2000s era didn't.Whichonvinced me, if the post Ashes 05 Hayden would have been a very solid opener if he had to face quality pace bowling consistently. Do you understand the difference???????????.
. When i see such comments i really have to wonder if some you pay keen attention to detail to evolution & decline of players careers on CW.
If is common cricket knowledge that Pollock declined significantly in the 2000s era, compared to the bowler he was between 1995/96 - 2001/02 (after the series vs AUS when he suffered his second career injury - a shoulder injury).
Then between BANG 2001/02 to PAK 03/04 (the faisalabad test when he took his last 5 wicket haul), was his last decent/quality period as a test bowler. Then from 03/04 to 07/08 he was very average, hE had become medium pace, all his zip had gone. In a test in Sri Lanka 06 i remember he was reduced to bowling off-spin even.
Shaun Pollock on the decline | Regulars | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com
Same thing goes for Ntini. I already illustrated how his career progressed & why he was NOT a quality test bowler when Hayden faced him during the 2001-2004 period:
http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/2352985-post32.html
Its is very common knowledge that Gough/Caddick partnership which lead England to those superb results in 2000, declined during the 2001 Ashes when Hayden faced them. Plus even in decline Hayden was the only in form Australia batsman coming of his monumental tour of India 2001, who failed to register a hundred on that tour. Which basically proves my point about his struggles in test ATT againts the moving ball.
Also with Hoggard, it also very common cricket knowledge that the Hoggard Hayden faced between 2001-2004 (Ashes 02/03) was very average. He was in the early stages of his career back then & he was only good when the ball was swinging. I'm sure you haven't forgetton what he did to your NZ side @ Christchurch 2002. Hoggard hadn't become a complete test bowler until India 2006 when he leart to reverse-swing the ball. So what you have here is Hayden spanking Hoggard on flat pitches in Ashes 02/03, but Hoggard being one of the bowlers to expose Hayden's technical faults in Ashes 05. Again proving my point of his struggles againts the moving ball & quality bowling in test during that period.
Pakistan never had a good attack when Hayden faced them between 2001-2004. Again this is very common knowledge that after Wasim/Waqar went & Saqlain declined significantly after people began to pick his doosra. PAK attack was a mess, with Akhtar being in & out of the team due to injuries etc for the majority of the decade. Its only in recent years has Pakistan finally put together a quality bowling attack & surprise surprise Hayden has retired.
