Hayden to slot into opening role in one-day series

Run machine Matthew Hayden will again force Australian selectors to split stable openers Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh when the triangular one-day series begins on Friday.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns confirmed Hayden would be used in the opening role and elsewhere in the batting order as the Australians rotate their best players through the series against New Zealand and South Africa.

"We'll probably rest a batsman from time to time as we have done previously and then the batting order is shuffled around," Hohns said.

"You'll see (Hayden opening) at some stage but any decisions will be made by the selectors in conjunction with the captain."

It was a predictable step after Hayden unleashed the most lucrative calendar year of any Australian Test batsman, hitting 1391 runs at an average of 66.23.

Captain Steve Waugh declared he could not "imagine anyone playing any better than that" after Hayden began the New Year with another Test century in the whitewash against South Africa.

But the aggressive Queenslander hasn't earned the same reputation in the one-day arena despite averaging 34.26 at a respectable clip in his 27 matches.

Gilchrist and Mark Waugh are the greatest opening pair in Australian one-day history but the door remains ajar for Hayden if selectors opt for a settled combination for the World Cup in South Africa in 13 months.

Hayden opened twice in the Australia's most recent one-day outings against Pakistan and England seven months ago after opening in four of the five clashes with India on the sub-continent in March and April.

The left-hander smashed more than 2000 runs in domestic one-day matches for Queensland before replenishing his international reputation in New Zealand two years ago.

Despite his outstanding summer, Hayden is no certainty to play in the opening tri-series match on Friday when Australia meets New Zealand at the MCG.

Hohns said selectors were looking towards the World Cup defence but he said the championship was "too far away to speculate" on any personnel changes.

"There is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before that," Hohns said.

"We're always looking towards it but plenty can happen in that time and this series is another in which we want to build the winning momentum."

Hohns said the 14-man Australian squad for the tri-series had not been selected for a particular number of matches. That leaves Jason Gillespie with a chance of returning if he can prove his fitness when he resumes from injury for Australia A against New Zealand at the Gabba tomorrow.

"He has two matches with Australia A to show us that he is fully fit and then we would have to reassess it from there," Hohns said.