Brisbane: Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden suffered serious injuries to his face and neck while surfing in Queensland that left his fans worried. He took to social media to share pictures of his injuries and said he had “dodged a bullet”.

The 46-year-old Hayden and his son Josh were surfing off Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane on Friday.

His first post on Instagram, read: “Took on Straddie back bank yesterday with @josh_hayden28 and lost!!! Game over for a few days.”

This was followed by another post, “Ok. Last attention seeking post I promise. Just wanted to say a big thank you to all our mates on Straddie who have been so supportive. Especially Ben & Sue Kelley for the fast diagnosis with MRI, CT scan. Fractured C6, torn C5,C4 ligaments safe to say I truly have dodged a bullet. Thank you everyone ❤️ On the road to recovery (sic).”

Currently a commentator who is often seen on the sets of Star Sports, Hayden was a menace for the bowlers during his playing days. He played 103 Tests, 161 ODIs and nine T20Is for Australia.