1160 runs @ 72.50 in 11 Tests
878 runs @ 54.87 in 21 ODIs
The man who was operated on for haemorrhoids in November was a pain in the arse for bowlers the world over in 2002. He stockpiled 1160 runs in 11 Tests at a near-Bradmanesque 72.50 per innings, with the small matter of six centuries. The momentum was carried right through to the end of the year at Brisbane where his match total of 300 was better than England managed in five of eight Ashes innings. But no innings illustrated his hunger for runs and his brute strength like the ordeal under the Sharjah sun. Hayden batted for 431 minutes in the near-50-degree heat to compile 119. He even found the time and energy to bait Shoaib Akhtar bowling at his fiercest - not an activity recommended for those with less talent and courage. The booming drive and meaty pull were his trademark weapons, along with a disdainful sweep, and they promise to inflict more pain in 2003. Dileep Premachandran

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