Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has suffered a fracture in vertebrae (spine) and a ligament tear during the freak accident during surfing in Queensland.

Hayden had admitted he “dodged a bullet” after sustaining neck and facial injuries while surfing with his son in Queensland. He has posted a pair of photos on Instagram over the weekend that made mention of the incident while holidaying with family on Stradbroke Island, just south east of Brisbane, Cricket Australia has reported on its official website.

His first post on Saturday said he had come off second best with a “Straddie back bank” and that it was “game over for a few days”.

Hayden shared the news on his Instagram pave haydos359. “Took on Straddie back bank yesterday with @josh_hayden28 and lost!!! Game over for a few days?‍♂️☹️,” read the post.

Hayden later posted the second picture on Sunday, which showed the 46-year-old in a neck brace and with a pair of nasty abrasions on his forehead. Despite the incident, Hayden appeared to be in good spirits as he thanked all his friends who helped him after the incident.

“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 ?‍♂️,” read the second post.

Hayden had retired from international cricket in 2012 after an extremely successful international career, spanning 13 years. The left-hander who formed a formidable opening pair with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. He was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame last year.