Australia have dropped Matthew Hayden from their one-day squad after deciding to ditch their controversial rotation policy. Hayden had opened in two matches out of four in the VB Series, making 10 each time, but Australia won just one of those games and the selectors have now decided on a change of strategy for their four remaining qualifiers. Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, felt it was time to revert to a tried-and-trusted formula: "What we want to do now is get back to normal cricket with a normal opening pair."

Paradoxically, this means no place for Australia's one specialist opener, Hayden, who was originally included in the 14-man squad on the basis of a phenomenal 2001, when he piled up an Australian record 1391 runs in Tests. He is jettisoned to give a clear run to the long-standing one-day opening pair, Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist - even though Waugh is just as short of runs, with only 14 from three innings in the series.

"We had the rotation policy last year and it was a huge success," said Hohns, "but this year it's not been quite so successful. There's no need for an explanation - we've just had a rethink."

Hayden, who before February 2000 had gone almost six years without winning a one-day cap, could now be in for another lengthy wait.

The squad as a whole is highly conservative, or consistent, with none of the new blood that the Australian papers have been baying for. Hayden is the only man dropped as the squad is reduced from 14 to 13. The two allrounders, Ian Harvey and Andrew Symonds, both survive despite being short of runs; Symonds may have been saved by his three wickets yesterday. Shane Watson, the eye-catching Tasmanian allrounder, won't be making his debut just yet.

The series continues in Sydney on Tuesday, when Australia face South Africa in a day-night game starting at 2.30pm (3.30am GMT).

Full squad Mark Waugh (age 36, caps 240), Adam Gilchrist (wk, 30, 122), Ricky Ponting (27, 127), Damien Martyn (30, 83), Steve Waugh (capt, 36, 321), Michael Bevan (31, 167), Ian Harvey (29, 37), Andrew Symonds (26, 46), Brett Lee (25, 33), Shane Warne (32, 171), Jason Gillespie (26, 27), Andy Bichel (30, 19), Glenn McGrath (31, 143).

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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