Matthew Hayden to miss VB Series match at the SCG

Cricket Australia today announced that Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden will not take part in Thursday's VB Series match against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Hayden will instead remain in Brisbane throughout that time, before rejoining the squad in the lead-up to Australia's match against Zimbabwe in Adelaide on 26 January.

A replacement for Hayden in the 13-man squad will be announced in due course.

The decision to leave the Queenslander out of Thursday's match was made by National Selection Panel Chairman Trevor Hohns in conjunction with Australian Team Management and Cricket Australia General Manager of Cricket Operations, Michael Brown.

Trevor Hohns said: "The selectors believe that this short lay-off should help Matthew as he prepares for the remainder of the VB Series and all other cricket that lies ahead.

"It gives him the chance to manage a range of minor injuries that he has endured, including knee soreness which is a common problem amongst top-order batsmen," he said.

Hohns also announced that apart from Hayden's omission and the introduction of a replacement squad member, the VB Series squad for Thursday will remain the same, with selectors opting to make changes as they see fit throughout the remainder of the tournament.