Phenomenal performance — Steve Waugh

"I was happy to hold the record. It's been a good nine years but I'm also happy for Hayden. It doesn't matter what attack the runs were made against.

"I was happy to hold the record. It's been a good nine years but I'm also happy for Hayden. It doesn't matter what attack the runs were made against. He made the runs at Perth which is a challenge for any batsman," said Brian Lara, whose score of 375 Hayden passed.

Bill Brown, oldest living Australian Test player

"It was a superb innings that Don Bradman would have been proud of. He scored quickly and technically. The innings was superb. I think Don, if he were here, would have appreciated the fact that records are made to be broken. It's almost inevitable that someone would come along and break the record. He's really a nice guy and it couldn't have been done by a better fellow."

Mark Taylor

"I don't think you can diminish any innings like that. All right, a Test match hundred against Zimbabwe is probably not as good as a Test match hundred against say the West Indies in their hallowed days of the 80s. But to go on and make a record score of 380, to do that takes special concentration and takes fitness. I always knew Matthew Hayden had that. I really got nervous for him in the 290s. It gave me a little bit of reflection back about five years ago when I was lucky enough to get that total. When I got to 300 it was all blur.

Steve Waugh

"Phenomenal performance concentration-wise, combined with technical brilliance, the cleanest ball-striking I have ever seen, thoroughly deserved. Right now he's the best batsman (in the world) and I think most players would agree with that. When he gets hun<147,2,1>dreds, he scores them quickly and dominated the opposition and sets the tone for the rest of the innings. He sets up matches, which not a lot of players do. Thoroughly deserved. Sometimes you just watch him bat and you think `I can't believe anyone could bat any better than this.' He's a great player. He will go down as one of the all-time greats, there's no doubt about that.

Geoff Marsh

"There was an awesome player out there who took us to the cleaners. I haven't seen pure, clean hitting like this over a sustained period. It was one of the best innings I've seen. It was hard to stop clapping. He just bullies you."

John Howard, Australian Prime Minister

"Congratulations from the millions of cricket fans and everyone else around the country."

FamilyLaurie Hayden, mother

"We've just been sitting down absolutely glued to the set. The last two days have been mind-boggling."

Kellie, wife

"It just doesn't seem to be real to me at the moment. But hopefully we will have lots of tapes and footages."

Dean Jones

"I am really happy for Hayden, he is a class act. He always promised to hit a big knock because once he does get a 100 he tends to make it 200 and more. There will be more expectations of him, one knock doesn't make a career but helps it and the way he is playing I hope that many runs to come. He wasn't good against spinners a few years back but hit a double hundred in Chennai two years ago and from there he started to learn how to play spin buy manipulating spin and using his feet to spinners. Six feet three or four with 93 kilos, he is a unit and a big man and I am happy for the guy for he was in and out of the team. He will appreciate this knock more than may be some other people would.

Hanif Mohammad

"A 380 is a 380 and even against the weak bowling of Zimbabwe it is a great achievement. In out times a batsman used to take three days to complete a triple hundred but cricket is so fast now that Hayden took just five sessions to score 380."

Heath Streak

It was just an amazing innings. It is not easy to be on the receiving end, but we had a lot of admiration for it. In a way it was special to be part of it and see an innings like that. He was mistiming sixes, that's how hard he was hitting. We fought hard and saved a bit of face. We'll walk way learning a lot more about the game. There are times in cricket and in any sport that someone plays well, and as opposition, you've got to respect that.

Graeme Smith

"He is a good man to be holding this proud record. His innings only underlines the way the Australians are dominating world cricket at present. It is a massive achievement from him. He is a fantastic and disciplined cricketer and is a good man to have this record. Hayden has just been such a dominant force in international cricket for the last two years now. I put this down to his great powers of concentration."

Inzamam-ul-Haq

"I know how much you need to concentrate and have the hunger for runs to play such a big innings. I am not surprised this world record has now gone to an Australian. With Australia dominating the way they are, you can expect more such feats from their players."

Ricky Ponting

"It was an amazing performance, and one that I will never forget. It is a credit to Matt who has just worked so hard and I am thrilled for him."

Australian mediaHerald Sun

"As a teenager he was one of the 21 players sent to Adelaide to trial for the Australian under-19 side but was one of the four players cut before the squad was sent to England."

The Australian

"He was driven by an iron will and a refusal to accept failure. It was the ultimate triumph for a bold young man considered by experts who followed his early development as too ungainly and heavy-footed for Test cricket."

The Age

"Hayden has emerged as a batsman of beautiful brutality."