Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden recently suffered a serious head and neck injuries while surfing during a holiday in Queensland. Hayden went on to state that he had "dodged a bullet" (indicating the entire incident). He said, "Fractured C6, torn C5, C4 ligaments safe to say I truly have dodged a bullet. Thank you everyone. On the road to recovery."
But ex-South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes saw the funny side of Hayden's injury and compared the head injury with the map of Tamil Nadu. He commented on Hayden's Instagram post which reads," Hayden is that a map of The Tamil Nadu coast u are wearing on your forehead? Real commitment buddy!!! Some of us softies take the easy option and just get tattoos!!"
The 46-year-old Hayden, who retired from international cricket in 2009 after a 103-Test career, told Brisbane's Courier Mail he was "bloody lucky" to escape serious injury.
"It was an hour into the session and we had had half dozen waves together and I got this one right handed wave which I sort of ducked under and that is pretty much all I can remember," he told the newspaper Monday.
"I wasn't knocked out. I was speared into the top of the sandbank onto the top of my head. Then it twisted my head with my own weight and the weight of the wave.
"I heard this god almighty click in my neck. I did not get knocked out but I sort of came to and rolled up on my back."
Hayden said he was able to get back onto the beach, but had scans later that day, which revealed the extent of his injuries.
Despite the scare, Hayden said he would return to surfing, adding: "The ocean gives and the ocean takes -- I will be back."
(With inputs from AFP)