Tall and powerfully built, Hayden plays with authoritative yet uncomplicated technique, driving with intimidation from the front foot but also good with cuts, pulls and hooks. This has lead to somewhat of a reputation as a one-day batsman.

After a spell in the Australian Test side which spanned seven matches between 1994 and '97, Hayden was dropped in order to try out several of the other top class top three batsman at the country's disposal. His sterling performances with Queensland, where he gained the Mercantile Mutual Cup Player of the Series award in 1999/2000 for his one-day play, gained a recall for Australia's tour to New Zealand at the end of the season.

The height of his career came in 2003 when he scored a then world record 380 against Zimbabwe during the first Test in Perth in October 2003. The left-hander beat the previous mark of 375, set by West Indian Brian Lara nine years ago against England, in the final over before tea.

Hayden was given the chance to go for 400 by Steve Waugh but was brilliantly caught by Stuart Carlisle soon after the re-start. His innings included 11 sixes and 38 fours and he shared a sixth wicket stand of 233 with Adam Gilchrist, who helped himself to an unbeaten 113 off only 94 balls.

Along with Justin Langer, he formed Australia's most successful-ever opening pair in Test history. At the start of the 2003/04 season they averaged 68.13 runs per opening stand from 24 matches together including nine hundred-plus stands and seven more partnerships of between 50 and 99.

He made his one-day international debut scoring 29 on the 1993 Ashes tour of the UK (at Old Trafford but lost out to Michael Slater as Mark Taylor's opening partner in the Test series. Hayden fought back and became a regular at the top of the order however he is now under threat from Clarke and Katich.

Hayden held the record for most Test runs in a calendar year by an Australian, 1391, scored in 2001 until Ricky Ponting scored 1503 runs in 2003 in 11 matches.

Test cap No. 359 | One Day cap No. 111