Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has criticised the decision to leave all-rounder Andrew Symonds out of the squad for this summer's Ashes series.
Symonds has been dogged by controversy during the last year and was sent home from the one-day series against Bangladesh for going fishing instead of attending a team meeting.
He failed to convince Cricket Australia he wanted to tour India last September and was then in hot water again when in a radio interview he described New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum as ‘a lump of s***’.
A fine and a public apology to McCullum seemed to be an end to the matter until CA blocked Symonds' selection for the tour to South Africa.
Despite the problems, Hayden believes Symonds should be judged on his cricket alone.
‘It was a mistake to leave him out,’ Hayden said in an interview with the Observer.
‘Regardless of his past waywardness? What's that got to do with the Ashes?
‘He's still playing good cricket. Everyone makes mistakes. He should be playing - definitely.’
The build-up to the Ashes is already beginning to intensify, but Hayden insists he does not feel sadness at not being part of the series.
The 37-year-old retired from international cricket in January and said: ‘Playing for my country has defined my life over a nearly 20-year period and to let it go was a very difficult decision.
‘But I put all my energy and ability into playing over this time, whether it was state or county cricket, international cricket or, now, the Twenty20 game, so I can have no regrets because I've really committed every ounce of what I have to trying to do it all.’
