It was a busy morning for Matthew Hayden at the SCG. The former Australia opener left for Brisbane in the afternoon but still found time for a chat with The Hindu .
Hayden thinks highly of Virat Kohli’s batting prowess. He said: “Technically, Kohli is as good as Michael Clarke. He is that good.
“He uses his feet, is a quality player. I think he is going to make a lot of runs in the years to come.”
Hayden said these were early days yet for Kohli as captain.
“There’s something endearing about him. He wears his heart on his sleeve on the field of play. He is a very emotional person. I think he will mature with more experience,” Hayden said.
Having played under M.S. Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings, Hayden comprehended his captaincy extremely well. Hayden said the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman’s decision to retire from Tests should be respected.
“It’s his call. He knows when it is the time to go. I think he has done a fabulous job for India over the years,” said Hayden.
“What amazed me about MS was his calmness even when a lot happened around him in the middle. Nothing showed on his face. He was a good decision maker. I remember the first IPL when he virtually took us to the knock-out stage on his own.”
Hayden said he believed Steve Smith’s methods as captain were similar to that of Dhoni. “He keeps his cool on the field, much like Dhoni. He has the qualities to become a very good captain. He is such a good bat,” Hayden said.
