In the face of mounting speculation that England may decide to play without a frontline option at some point during the forthcoming Ashes, Nathan Lyon has acknowledged the importance of always playing a spinner in Australian conditions.
When England considers the balance of their team after selecting all-rounder Will Jacks, who last played Test cricket in 2022, as the backup to offspinner Shoaib Bashir, it will add one of the intriguing dynamics in the lead-up to the first Test next month, even though it falls into the category of unsurprising assessments from Lyon, as he himself stated.
“You’re asking the spinner if they want to pick a spinner,” Lyon said. “You’re picking a spinner on every side, in my opinion. Variation alters the game’s entire tempo. If their skill sets allow it, I believe spinners can be really useful out here.
England will take into account a number of variables, including the fact that visiting spinners have frequently failed in Australia: since Lyon’s debut, foreign spinners have averaged 62.09 vs Lyon’s 31.08. But in 2010–11, when England last triumphed in Australia, Graeme Swann was a key player in a four-man attack.
“This is where I grew up. Playing on wickets that don’t spin is something I understand and have honed my skill around,” Lyon remarked. “So, I’ve had to find a way to firstly survive but also create chances and build pressure along the way, and it’s something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, and I’ll keep doing that.”
Lyon’s current circumstances are somewhat complicated, though, given they were excluded from Australia’s most recent Test match in Jamaica after they decided to use a pink Dukes ball and an all-pace assault. Lyon’s replacement, Scott Boland, took a hat-trick as they defeated the West Indies for 27 to end the match.
The selectors have already stated that such a scenario is extremely unlikely to occur in Australia, and although Lyon admits the outcome justified the move, he was adamant he could have contributed.
“Disappointed that I wasn’t a part of that, but I understood the reasons behind it and at the end of the day, you look at it now, it’s a pretty good call and brave call,” Lyon stated. However, if I have to miss a test for anyone, it will undoubtedly be Scott Boland. The only reason I’m disappointed is that I think my skill set can be useful in any situation anywhere in the globe, and I feel like I’ve demonstrated its efficacy.”
Being named as Jack Edwards’ understudy while the all-rounder is with Australia A in India, Lyon will start his Ashes preparations by captaining New South Wales for the first time against Western Australia in Perth. Lyon currently has 562 Test wickets, one more than Glenn McGrath, who holds the second-highest total for Australia.
Lyon anticipates making three Shield outings prior to the opening Test.
It will only be Lyon’s second first-class appearance; he has already captained a Prime Minister’s XI against England in 2018 and once in the Sheffield Shield for South Australia in 2012.
“It’s a massive honour to captain the state that you were born in and obviously dreamt of playing cricket for,” he stated. It was quite humbling to receive that call the other day. I have never aspired to be a team captain, particularly on a professional level. However, NSW Chief Performance Officer Greg Mail approached me and asked if I would do it, saying he wanted me to. Therefore, even though it’s a brief stay, I’m rather content with it.”
“He’s learning the craft, as we’re all learning. Some of us are a lot further on in our journey as professional cricketers, but they’re learning their craft. Not just him, but everyone around Australia. They’ve got to learn their style and be brave enough to back that and have faith in it” – Nathan Lyon on Sam Konstas
Sam Konstas will be in the lineup to play Western Australia as he enters a crucial month in his attempt to keep a spot in the Test squad. In addition to Edwards, New South Wales will be missing six other possible Shield players between Australia’s T20I team in New Zealand and the A team in India.
Although the selectors have long said that the first three Shield matches will be crucial in their decision-making, Konstas starts the season with 188 runs, including a century, in the two four-day Australia A matches.
Lyon responded with “runs” when asked what he anticipated from Konstas in the upcoming weeks, but he also emphasised that he was a player who was still improving.
“Obviously he had a pretty successful tour over there [in India], but it’s great to have him back on the Shield side,” Lyon stated. Like all of us, he is learning the craft. While some of us are still learning the ropes, others are far further along in our careers as professional cricket players. Everyone in Australia, not just him. They must become familiar with their style and have the courage to support and believe in it.
India
