Former Test opener Matthew Hayden has called for Australian batting coach Michael Di Venuto to be held to account for failing to provide the technical guidance needed for the sideโs struggling top order.
In the aftermath of Australiaโs defeat to England inside two days in the fourth Test in Melbourne, Hayden said the home sideโs efforts on a difficult MCG surface were โunacceptableโ after they were rolled for 152 and 132 in 79.5 overs โ the first time in 97 years Australia have lost 20 wickets in fewer overs in a Test.
Hayden also made the extraordinary claim that Australiaโs bowlers possess better techniques than the recognised batters.
โThatโs an unacceptable scorecard. I donโt care if it was 50 millimetres of grass. You need to be better than that,โ Hayden said on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast. โHead, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Carey, Green; theyโre all at sea with their basic techniques. The only technical thing I see is coming from our bowlers, who look more technically sound than our batters. Why is that?โ
The 103-Test opener pointed the finger at Di Venuto, who took on the role after a first-class career in which he scored more than 25,000 runs.
โIโm not a fan of him. Itโs not a personal thing,โ Hayden said of Di Venuto. โI just think for too long there has been an influence in this group around batting, and I donโt feel itโs served the development of the team or the technical element of Test cricket. Not just on green wickets but in the subcontinent, where weโve been competitive but havenโt had the skill sets required to cope in those conditions.
Australian batting coach Michael Di Venuto.Credit: PA
โAs much as I like โDivaโ, I feel like there has to be some change, because I donโt want to be sitting here on this podcast in two years going, โWell weโve got all these technical difficultiesโ.
โAt some point, you have to take accountability. Thatโs the piece I really struggle with the most. Itโs like, โYep, itโs green, therefore weโre going to play a certain wayโ. Or, โItโs spinningโ [like in] Delhi a couple of series ago. Every player was sweeping on a wicket that wasnโt turning an inch.
