Hayden: Australia are setting their standards too low

Former Australian Test opener Matthew Hayden has voiced his serious concerns for the Australian cricket team.

The Australian Men’s Test side returns to South Africa for the first time since Sandpapergate, and all eyes are on the Aussies who enter the series as underdogs.

With an age profile that continues to get older and unconvincing batting performances across the board, there are genuine questions being asked about the direction of the team.

Hayden spoke with Ian Healy on SENQ Breakfast following the well-publicised criticism he levelled earlier this week on the ‘mediocrity’ that he believes is occurring in Australian cricket.

“They are a bloody good team, and they do win a lot, but winning doesn't always settle all scores either,” Hayden said.

“I guess my frustration does come from the talk being without the respect that I feel like the game really deserves, including first-class cricket. That is, if you set your benchmark and your standards low, well that's exactly where you stay.

“So I don't buy the theory of setting standards to a point where you go, ‘Well, look, 35 (runs) are good enough,’ because you are never going to lift that standard if you set your scores out and that's where you go."

Hayden’s previous comments ignited a war of words with Travis Head, who went in to bat for his teammates and defended Cricket Australia’s current approach.

“I think it's unfairly judged a bit, from a group of past players,” Head told reporters earlier this week.

“(They) pretty much put the bullet through the players, which I think is unfair.

“That's what they're paid to do; some of them need a job, so they go after us, and that's totally fine.

“This group is strong enough to deal with those sorts of things. That's how it is. It's unfortunate sometimes to have some of that feedback from a generation of players that we have huge respect for, but that's the caper.”

However, Ian Healy disagreed with Head’s comments.

“I don't know of any player that's been fired at unfairly,” Healy said.

Hayden remained steadfast that his criticism isn’t levelled at any particular individuals in the side.

“I feel like you open up Pandora's box when you start comparing generations, and that's not really what I'm trying to achieve in this conversation or any conversation I have,” Hayden said.

“The thing is, though, it’s also about the qualities opposed to the standards that actually sit above performances.

“The tenacity to hang in there, the ability to be able to persevere under enormous pressure, the capability to be able to take knocks and come back and learn from them.

“They're all qualities that really put you in a great position before you get to a Test match.”

Hayden contrasted the world-class approach that India has been undertaking in ensuring its continued dominance across the formats.

“When I go to India and I go to Bengaluru, I see the home of their academy cricket which has four ovals, extensive running tracks, indoor gym facilities, rehab facilities. It’s second to none,” Hayden said.

“They are just leaping ahead, and our academy, we've spent $23 million on it, is a white elephant now sitting with no program and therefore no indigenous leaders of our game.

“Guys like Allan Border could be calling in there regularly to young guys like Cooper Connolly.”

With a huge summer of Test cricket ahead for the Aussies against South Africa, New Zealand and England, there is no escaping from the spotlight.

Australia’s first Test against South Africa begins in Durban on Friday evening at 6:30pm (AEDT).

You can catch every ball of the South Africa series live across the SEN network.