According to News 18, Matthew Hayden stated on the All Over Bar the Cricket podcast, “If he doesn’t get a hundred this summer, I’ll walk around the MCG naked.”
The Three Lions’ biggest series of the year will begin in November when they go to Australia for The Ashes, even though England just finished a demanding five-Test series against India a little more than a month ago.
While “Babzall” will undoubtedly be scrutinised, Joe Root, who has strangely found it difficult to defeat Australia in his 158 Test matches, will receive particular attention. In Australia, where he has played five or more Test matches and has yet to record a Test century, Root still averages a respectable 35.68.
But that will almost certainly change this time, according to former Australian opener Matthew Hayden.
Hayden is so sure of himself, in fact, that he went ahead and made one of the most outrageous claims ever, live on television.
“It’s unbelievable that you don’t have Joe Root on your team; he’s the most complete package in the England squad.” He has a top score of 180, but his average is 40. I’ll speak with you at the conclusion of this summer,” Hayden continued.
Root is the second-highest run scorer in Test history with 13,543 runs. However, his lack of Tonne Down Under is viewed as a weakness on his resume. When Root hit 89 in the second innings of the first Test match in Brisbane during the 2021 Ashes, he came the closest to reaching a century. In Australia, he has reached the 50-run milestone nine times, but he has never been able to turn that total into a century.