Hayden to play in CL T20 for Chennai Super Kings

Matthew Hayden has been cleared by Cricket Australia to play for Chennai Super Kings in next month’s Champions League Twenty20 starting December 3, according to coach Tim Nielsen. Hayden, who will be playing his 100th Test in the second match against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval from Friday, will have rush to India for the Twenty20 event before embarking on a three-Test series against South Africa.

Hayden will have Michael Hussey as his company in Chennai Super Kings team while another member of the Australian Test squad — Peter Siddle — will represent Victoria Bushrangers in the Twenty20 tournament which is wedged between the series against New Zealand and South Africa. “Cricket Australia has endorsed their participation, that’s the way the modern game goes. We’ve just got to deal with it like we do when we’ve got players who are a bit sore or a bit tired on the road,” Nielsen said.

To ensure that Australian and South African players represent their domestic T20 teams in the Champions League, Cricket Australia, which has a 25 per cent stake in the tournament, has delayed the Perth Test until December 17. South Africa will be represented by Titans and Dolphins in the Champions League Twenty20.

“We have to understand the changing nature of the game, that this is what is going to happen to ensure the game keeps generating money and getting people involved and kids wanting to watch it,” Nielsen was quoted as saying in ‘The Age’. “From my point of view, the Australian team and international cricket will always be the number one commitment, but it’s not as simple any more as just saying that means we have our lead-up and everything else is put on the backburner,” he added.