Cricket
Oz cricketer Matthew Hayden fractures neck in surfing accident
The cricket great said he has “dodged a bullet” after suffering a fracture in his bone and serious facial injuries.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has suffered a fractured bone in his neck and several serious facial injuries while surfing at the weekend.
He was on family holiday when the accident occurred.
The 46-year-old admitted he “dodged a bullet” after the incident in Queensland, Australia.
'Just wanted to say a big thank you to all our mates on Stradbroke Island who have been so supportive,' he wrote on Instagram, accompanied with a picture of himself in a neck brace.
“Fractured C6, torn C5, C4 ligaments – safe to say I truly have dodged a bullet.”
Surfing accident
In an interview with Australian newspaper Courier Express, the former cricketer explained what happened.
'It was an hour into the session and we had had half dozen waves together and I got this one right-handed wave which I sort of ducked under and that is pretty much all I can remember,' he said.
'I wasn't knocked out. I was speared into the top of the sandbank on to the top of my head. Then it twisted my head with my own weight and the weight of the wave. I heard this god almighty click in my neck. I did not get knocked out but I sort of came to and rolled up on my back,' he added.
A cricket great
Hayden, a prolific opening batsman, played 103 Test matches for Australia between 1994 and 2009.
He scored more than 8,000 runs including a former record Test score of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003.
Along with current Australia coach Justin Langer, he formed one of the most fearsome opening partnerships in cricket history, combining for 5655 Test runs.