Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden has made a pact together with his former team-mate Greg Blewett that he’ll stroll across the MCG bare if Joe Root doesn’t get 100 through the 2025 Ashes.
A lot of the pre-series chatter has associated to Root’s detached type Down Beneath, with the ex-England skipper by no means having scored a century in opposition to the Saggy Greens in Australia.
It’s an unimaginable statistic, contemplating the 34-year-old sits second, behind Sachin Tendulkar, because the second-highest run scorer in Check cricket, with Root amassing a whopping 13,543.
A number of Aussie information shops have focused Root prior to now week, with The West Australian branding him ‘Common Joe’ and a ‘Dud Root Down Beneath’.
Nevertheless, Queensland star and former Australia opening batter, Hayden, thinks in any other case, naming Root in his all-time favorite English middle-order batsmen.
‘He [Root] is probably the most full bundle within the England aspect,’ Hayden instructed Blewett and James Brayshaw throughout an episode of the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.
Aussie cricket legend Matthew Hayden (pictured) has claimed that he’ll run across the MCG bare if Joe Root does not rating a century this summer time Down Beneath
A lot of the pre-series chatter has associated to Root’s (pictured) detached type Down Beneath, with the ex-England skipper by no means having scored a century in opposition to the Saggy Greens in Australia
Blewett, although, appeared to infuriate Hayden by leaving Root out of his all-time greatest English prime order.
Blewett, an all-rounder who scored 2,552 runs at Check degree, named Michael Vaughan and Alastair Prepare dinner as his greatest English openers. Jonathan Trott was his favorite No 3 batsman. Blewett picked Graham Thorpe at No 4, earlier than selecting Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff at 5 and 6.
‘I can’t consider you don’t have Joe Root in your staff?’ Hayden requested Blewett.
Blewett, who additionally performed cricket for South Australia, Kent, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, held up a circle together with his fingers.
‘Mate, I had that up,’ Blewett mentioned, elevating the ‘0’.
‘That’s what number of lots of he’s made in Australia from 14 Checks… Zero!’
However Hayden disagreed with the 54-year-old. He went on to level out that Root’s common in opposition to Australia, each house and away, is 40 runs per sport, including that his highest rating in England in opposition to the Aussies is 180.
‘I’ll discuss to you on the finish of this summer time,’ Hayden mentioned to Blewett.
Hayden (pictured) clashed with Greg Blewett, who disagreed that Root was inside the highest English middle-order batters of all time
Blewett (pictured) referenced Root’s incapability to attain a century Down Beneath, elevating a giant ‘0’ together with his fingers
Root has been slammed by Aussie media since arriving Down Beneath, with The West Australian branding him ‘Common Joe’
‘I’ll stroll nude across the MCG if he doesn’t get 100 this summer time,’ Hayden mentioned.
Root comes into this collection off the again of a hat-trick of tons in opposition to India, however Blewett was nonetheless adamant that the Yorkshireman misses out on his prime order.
‘We’re selecting it now, not in six month’s time!’ he mentioned.
Hayden replied: ‘So that you’re leaving out a bloke who’s received 13,500 runs in Check cricket.’
Hayden later lifted the lid on the wager when requested on The Willow Talk podcast how he’d really feel if Joe Root received into the nineties through the summer time. Hayden replied, noting he wouldn’t be getting utterly bare: ‘I’ll be nuding up, with some satisfaction although.’
‘As a result of across the ‘G I’ll be interchanging my footy shorts.
‘I’ll begin with the Broncos. I’ll go to Queensland and I’ll come again with the Lions, assisted with the victory lap.
He then joked that he would replicate how he as soon as stripped off on a cable automobile trip up Desk Mountain, with solely an Australian flag defending his dignity.
Nevertheless, Root comes into this collection off the again of a hat-trick of tons in opposition to India, however Blewett was nonetheless adamant that the Yorkshireman misses out on his prime order
‘Or simply waving round like I used to be on the highest of Desk Mountain, with the Aussie flag going laborious.
‘I hope Joe Root does discover his toes on this nation. It’ll be a significantly better collection if their No 4 and our No 4 having rising shares via the collection.
‘They’re the type of solely certainty from each groups, for my part.
‘If Smudgey and Rooty get going on this collection, it’s going to be one thing particular.
‘It’ll go into form of fifth day, which is strictly what you need in terms of Ashes cricket.’
