Jamaican sprint champion Usain Bolt surprised international journalists when he said Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden was his sporting hero.
“I am a huge fan of Matty Hayden and he’s a cool customer out in the middle and I like his style,” Bolt said.
Most of the international media listening to Bolt’s interview didn’t know who Hayden was and were intrigued to know what role he played in cricket.
Hayden was humbled.
“It’s pretty humbling isn’t it for an old fisherman and surfer in Queensland who now and then plays a bit of cricket,” he said.
“It’s an amazing achievement and to be mentioned is something I’m very proud about and I can’t believe he even said that.”
The story illustrates the power of cricket in the West Indies, which does appear to have waned in recent years based on test performances. It’s great the sport still ranks highly in public consciousness there.
