Matthew Hayden reveals what makes Suryakumar Yadav such a threat in T20 cricket

The
power-hitters
from
teams
such
as
Australia,
England
and
West
Indies
have
dominated
the
shortest
format
but
Hayden
gave
the
example
of
the
rampaging
Suryakumar
to
drive
his
point
that
it
is
more
about
finding
a
tricky
balance.

“The
power
game
in
T20
cricket
is
still
being
explored
because
there
is
a
mixture,”
the
former
Australian
opener
and
current
Pakistan
team
mentor
said
ahead
of
Wednesday’s
T20
World
Cup
semifinal
against
New
Zealand.

“I
think
the
subcontinental
players
when
you
look
at
the
tournament
so
far,
guys
like
Suryakumar
Yadav
who
are
playing
beautifully
through
that
middle
to
late
stage,
with
a
competency
of
all
areas
of
the
ground,
with
access
shots,
innovation,
they
become
threats.”

Suryakumar
has
gone
past
1000
runs
in
T20
Internationals
in
2022.
On
Sunday,
the
32-year-old
mesmerized
an
82,000-strong
MCG
crowd
with
his
strokes,
some
of
them
outrageous.
His
unbeaten
61-run
knock
off
just
25
balls
set
up
India’s
big
win
over
Zimbabwe.

“So
it’s
not
always
about
the
power.
And
as
I
said,
I
think
as
cricketers,
we’re
all
trying
to
come
to
grips
with
when
is
the
power,
when
does
that
foot
go
down
on
the
floor,
when
does
it
decelerate
and
look
to
preserve.

“And
a
lot
of
the
matches
have
been
very
close
matches.
And
the
tricky
balance
between
preservation
of
wickets
versus
exploration
of
innovation
have
been
really
why
I
think
a
lot
of
the
sides
that
are
here
now
in
this
tournament
are
still
here.

“Australia
is
a
great
case
of
that.
Power
to
burn
but
hasn’t
been
able
to
handle
the
new
ball.
And
it’s
let
itself
be
vulnerable
through
the
middle
of
the
order.”

Defending
champions
Australia
failed
to
reach
the
knockout
stage
after
finishing
third
in
their
super
12
Group
1
with
seven
points
as
England
sealed
the
semifinals
owing
to
a
better
net
run-rate.

Hayden,
who
was
part
of
the
2003
ODI
World
Cup-winning
team,
said
Australia
didn’t
get
things
right
in
their
preparation
for
the
T20
showpiece
and
will
have
to
take
some
bold
decisions
ahead
of
next
year’s
50-over
World
Cup.

“The
Australian
team
has
some
thinking
to
do.
There
has
to
be
some
freshness…
there
has
to
be
planning
to
head
towards
World
Cups.
They’re
the
premium
events.
They’re
the
events
that
everyone
across
the
world
plans
for,
and
Australia,
unfortunately,
just
didn’t
get
it
right.

“We
all
know
the
Australian
cricket
team,
the
culture
of
Australian
cricket
has
been
challenged
over
the
last
four
or
five
years.
There
has
to
be
some
improvements
in
the
departments,
especially
I
think
their
fast
bowling
attack.”

Hayden
pointed
out
some
strategic
decisions
that
backfired
and
also
pulled
up
the
batters.
“I
think
strategically,
as
well,
not
playing
Mitchell
Starc,
our
premium
bowler
ahead
of
that
game
was
really
significant
as
well.
So
little
things,
but
just
performances.

“Davey
Warner,
his
performance
in
the
World
Cup
wasn’t
as
special
as
it
was
in
the
last
World
Cup.
He’s
a
premium
player.
Our
expectations,
like
Babar,
like
all
the
great
players,
are
so
high
that
when
they
don’t
quite
get
it
right,
they
get
exposed.

“And
then
they
have
to
raise
their
game
and
challenge
themselves
and
become
better
players
and
then
play
better
tournament
cricket.
And
tournament
cricket
is
very
hard.
And
it’s
very
different
for
the
common
programme
as
well
because
you
don’t
get
second
bites
at
the
cherry
typically.”