Hayden’s cheeky vow about Root: Will walk naked at MCG if he doesn’t score a century

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden’s recent remark about Joe Root has become the talk of the cricketing world ahead of the upcoming Ashes. Hayden jokingly pledged that if England’s star batter fails to score a century in the series, he will walk naked at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Speaking confidently on the YouTube show All Over Bar the Cricket, Hayden said, “If Root doesn’t score a hundred this summer, I’ll walk naked around the MCG.”

The five-match Ashes series between Australia and England begins on November 21 in Perth. Hayden is firmly convinced that Root will finally end his century drought on Australian soil. His bold comment sparked laughter among the panel and quickly turned into a hot topic of discussion.

Even Hayden’s family joined in the fun. His daughter, Grace Hayden—who works as a sports presenter—posted on social media, “Root, please score a hundred.”

Clearly, Grace hopes Root delivers so that her father’s “risky promise” doesn’t come true.

Joe Root, one of the modern era’s finest batters, has yet to reach three figures in Australia. Across 14 Tests there, he has scored 892 runs at an average of 35.68, with 9 fifties but no centuries. In contrast, his overall career record is outstanding—since debuting in 2012, he has played 158 Tests, scoring 13,543 runs at 51.29 with 30 hundreds and 69 fifties. He is England’s leading century-maker and sits in the all-time top four worldwide.

Root has been in sensational form over the last four years. Since 2021, he has scored 5,720 runs in 61 Tests at an average of 56.63, including 22 centuries and 17 fifties—arguably the best phase of his career.

If Root finally breaks the drought with a century in Australia during this Ashes, it will be a significant achievement. But if he fails, fans’ attention may quickly shift to Hayden’s much-talked-about promise—something that could leave his daughter Grace in an awkward situation too.