Australian opener Matthew Hayden said today he had been cleared to tour New Zealand after a medical examination found he was over the worst of a debilitating lung infection. Hayden, who has been battling both illness and poor form, said doctors had found he was suffering from pleurisy and waited until the last minute before deciding he could join his teammates on the plane to Auckland early tomorrow. Hayden said he had endured a tough week, much of it bedridden, wondering if he would recover in time to make the tour. “I felt very sick,” he told reporters after successfully completing a net session. “My lung capacity was way below 50 percent, there was genuine reason to be really concerned. But I am on the road to recovery . I definitely feel all right to go.” Hayden’s inclusion means Michael Clarke is likely to move back down the order after an outstanding stint as a stand-in opener for Australia’s one-day side. Hayden said his time out of the side had given him time to refocus on the game.
