'Hayden can't absorb our success'

Arjuna Ranatunga said Matthew Hayden can't stomach the success of subcontinent's players adding that Australians too chased records.

On the cricket field, he always gave it back and four years after he has retired from the game, Arjuna Ranatunga still does not mince words - be it on Matthew Hayden's noises about sub-continental cricketers being selfish or the controversies surrounding Muttiah Muralitharan.

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They cannot "absorb" the success of sub-continental cricketers, says Ranatunga in reference to the recent remarks by Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden, who wrote that sub-continental cricketers play for personal records and bat selfishly.

Sri Lanka's most successful captain has lost none of his forthrightness although he is now a Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister for Tourism and Industry. He spoke candidly about Australians, Indian cricketers and, most critically, about his country's cricket establishment during an interview to PTI here.

Citing an innings by Hayden in October last in Australia against Zimbabwe where the side did not declare till the opener was on the crease and made 380 runs to break West Indies legend Brian Lara's the then record of 375 runs, Ranatunga said "the best question you can refer back to him is why did he bat till he got past the world record. They should have declared much before that."