Adelaide, Nov 27: Ahead of his 100th Test, Australian all-rounder Matthew Hayden has said that he doesn’t consider himself as “special”.

Having played for 14 long years, after making debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1994, Hayden declared there was nothing special about his cricketing story.

“My story''s not any more significant than anyone else’s. Anyone that’s got into the Australian cricket team has had to have their personal challenges met, and they''ve confronted those and conquered them. That''s just what it means to play for Australia, that''s the fabric of playing for the baggy green,” said Hayden on Thursday.

He added: “You get used to the melodramatic nature of performances, sometimes you''re okay, other times you''re not okay, so it''s just the way it goes,” said Hayden.

“And, the swings and roundabouts of people’s perceptions are something I’ve taken, never to heart but more as a motivation as to how I can get better every single game. My commitment to the game hasn''t changed, and more than anything if I can say what I’m proud of that would be it, Matthew Hayden in 1991 worked as hard as he works in 2008,” The Age quoted Hayden as saying further.

According to the paper, Hayden is a figure of contrast, even contradictions, a loving family man and team bulwark off the field while a particularly abrasive competitor on it. He readily acknowledged a switch flicks when walking on or off the field of play. “Yeah, I think so, I guess off the field I pursue other passions, my family who''ve been a great supporter of mine. It''s been a wonderful journey for all of us,” he said and added: “I''ve pursued other passions as well, food and life around the sea, so that''s who I really am as a person. I''m a bushy at heart but love the ocean. Playing for Australia means a lot to me, and my own performances, how I walk out to the middle, and that means I have to enjoy the challenge of competition.” (ANI)