Standing My Ground

Matthew Hayden was one of the most commanding batsmen the game has ever seen – and one of its great enigmas.

A religious man and a ruthless on-field sledger. A brutal enforcer, and a soft-hearted family man. Australian record-holder for highest score in Tests and One Day Internationals, who was at times troubled by self-doubt and doubters.

In Standing My Ground Hayden confronts these contradictions head-on. He talks frankly about the forces that shaped his journey from fringe international to a giant of the game, and takes us on a privileged tour inside the sporting machine that dominated all comers in a golden age of Australian cricket.

This isn’t a predictable ball-by-ball account of a stellar career. Instead, Hayden delivers a characteristically direct assessment of the matches and the people that mattered most. He opens up on umpires, the media, superstitions, teammates and opponents with disarming honesty and humour.