ICC Hall of Fame

Few can boast 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year. Matthew Hayden is the only player who can boast doing so across five years - and five years consecutively. Setting himself apart from his contemporaries, Hayden flourished in slow, spin heavy conditions where other foreigners floundered: India. For all his force down the ground, Hayden swept with aplomb. He made 549 runs, the most by an Australian in a three-Test series.

Wedged in between his prolific Test stretch, Hayden played a role in Australia’s successful 2003 Cricket World Cup campaign, having stood in a top-three batting ranking in both formats, and teaming up with limited overs opening partner Adam Gilchrist.

Hayden had one final flurry in the Test arena, making centuries in three consecutive Tests against India in the 2007/08 home series, helping him pass Bradman’s total of 29 hundreds. The flamboyant southpaw waved goodbye with an even 30 to his name, as one of the only four Australians to reach the mark.

Before a swansong in Test whites, Hayden took part in the inaugural T20 World Cup, adapting to the new format with ease. He topped the tournament run tally with 265 runs, and bowed out with an average of over 50 and a strike rate of 143.92 in the T20Is.