Matty Hayden goes barebat

He's back again, huge of chest, pigeon-legged, strutting and chewing, vast eyebrows scoring their wide V... Yeah, it's Haydos, the world's most beloved Australian, and he's even wearing gold... well, more like canary yellow actually, especially the helmet. 

But something's different. A long-term Gray-Nicolls man, Hayden went barebat today. The devil. Presumably his sponsorship deal ended on his international retirement. It was somehow more apparent because almost every inch of the IPL franchise shirts are logoed. 

It's usually bowlers who take to the crease with this plaintive, unspoken plea - they're probably just hoping for a couple of freebies in the post. There was something more aggressive about Hayden's statement. After all, if he was really not bothered he could have just kept the old stickers on in cheery thanks for the good times. 

Instead, Hayden bristled. Big egos die hard. He still considers himself a player, and he batted well. If I were an ambitious batmaker, an arriviste maybe, I'd take a punt. Adidas? Nike? Were you watching?

NB: In more dispiriting news, Test Match Special have announced that Hayden will be part of their team for the Ashes. Are they really going to tell us that Hayden, at best a man of colloquial grunts, is the most appropriate man for the job?