SYDNEY, June 1: Injured Australian opener Matthew Hayden said on Sunday he has no intention of retiring from one-day cricket to ensure he plays on to next year’s Ashes series in England.

The 36-year-old left-hander returned home from the West Indies tour with an Achilles tendon problem.

There has been speculation that Hayden will give up limited-overs cricket to nurse himself through to next year’s Ashes series.

But Hayden said he would feel he was a lesser Test batsman without playing in the one-day game and believed staying within the Australian team was important to his fitness and form.

“I always maintain the best players play all forms of the game and that includes Twenty20 cricket as well,” Hayden told reporters.

“There’s a workload issue that you have to manage on a daily basis but the thing you have to understand is my one-day game drives my Test game as well.

“I find a lot of inspiration playing one-day cricket and because you are in and around the support structure as well on a consistent basis.

“It’s the inconsistencies of cricket that tend to lead to more injures than anything.”

Now the most experienced member of the world champion outfit following the retirements of a string of senior players, Hayden’s presence will be crucial as skipper Ricky Ponting strives to ensure his team remains at the top of world cricket.

With the Champions Trophy in Pakistan four months away, Hayden believes he will quickly be back at the top of the order.

Hayden said he will seek advice from a tendon expert about treating his injury. “I feel like I’m definitely in the right place, especially considering I’ve tried a few different methods in the last four weeks and nothing’s really worked,” he said. “I feel I can heal and get well again.”

Hayden has scored 8,242 runs in 94 Tests since his debut in 1993-94 at an average of 53.52.—AFP