Hayden impressed by 'perfect' Dhoni

Chennai: He may have retired from international cricket, but former Australian opener Mathew Hayden is going through his paces with rigorous devotion in Chennai, as he gears up to play for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. CNN-IBN caught up with Matt the Bat who opened up on a host of topics that included his addiction for cooking.


CNN-IBN: You're known for your fondness for cooking. Have you learnt new recipes after coming to India?


Matthew Hayden: For sure. Indian cuisine for me is a particular passion. It's a constant evolution and I'm trying to pick up little bits and pieces, and trying to understand the regions. It's really complicated, because people have such vastly different things that they can like, coconuts for example. In the south it makes a huge component for food. The types of chillies are different depending on which region of India it is. To me it's learning about those and gradually introducing those different flavours through our food.


CNN-IBN: Do you find more time to cook these days since you've retired from international cricket?


Matthew Hayden: More time for everything. As an international cricketer today, you're just so extremely busy. The time that actually you could be out playing, which is mostly everyday, you do tend to find time just to the market and pick up something and have that in the back of your mind that your children might be able to eat this that night. We might be able to look ahead and plan a bit more about what menu you're going to create for the weekend. And it's actually wrestling back a lot more time for yourself, your family. I'm really enjoying it.


CNN-IBN: Does your wife enjoy your cooking or does she tell you to stop?


Matthew Hayden: No. I cook every meal at home. The only thing I refuse to do is iron. I'm not that domesticated yet.


CNN-IBN: The IPL won't be played in Chennai this time, not going to be in India at all.


Matthew Hayden: Firstly, it's very disappointing that its not in India. I think more than anything I'm disappointed for the people of India, because this tournament there would have been all sorts of deals done with them - choirs, maybe let out for this game and that game. Maybe they would have pencilled it in and organise and create that kind of event.


For an athlete it's so special to play in front of a lot of people. I do know one thing about South Africa, though, that they really love the shortened versions of the game. The T20 World Cup was a great example of that. We got really good crowds in most of those games. So hopefully it gets patronised.


CNN-IBN: What do you think about your own form being out of international cricket?


Matthew Hayden: Zero form, absolutely. I've not been playing, but I'm really fit. I've concentrated and worked extremely hard over the last month and a half, getting ready in preparation for this tournament. I've now got at least two weeks to generate my skill sets again and work on those kind of elements of my game