Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
It was Nathan Lyon’s wife Emma who told him that he was reputedly one of a quartet of senior Australian players making their last bow this summer.
Channel Seven’s advert for the home Test series against Pakistan, aired during the AFL grand final, suggested this would be the last chance to see Lyon, David Warner, Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja.
For Lyon, just recovered from a serious calf tear that cost him the last three Tests of the Ashes series earlier this year, the angle came as something of a shock. Having felt extremely down as he watched the remainder of the series from home, he is intent on carrying on until the next tours of India and England in 2027.
“I was very surprised,” Lyon told this masthead, stifling a laugh. “Emma, my wife, said ‘have you got something to tell me’, to which I said ‘no’. So I couldn’t believe it, but it’s only promo stuff. I’ve definitely reset some goals and changed the finish line.
“When I came home I struggled a fair bit watching the guys in the last three games, just mentally. Seeing them and how the games were going and knowing you could potentially play a massive role in being the difference.
“But being at home, watching the AFL grand final, the NRL grand final, allowing me to refresh and rehab … made me hungrier than ever before to get back. Watching those finals, seeing the jubilation of the celebrations and the heartbreak of the guys who’d lost, it just reignited a little flame inside and made it burn a lot brighter.”
England’s players follow Nathan Lyon off the field at Lord’s.Credit: Getty
As for Warner, the one cricketer who has flagged this summer as the finishing line in Test cricket, Lyon was in no doubt that the left-hander deserved a final bow.
“David’s been incredible, and I honestly don’t think the Australian public are going to realise the hole he’s going to leave within the Australian Test team when the time comes for him to retire,” Lyon said. “He’s been an incredible player for a number of years in arguably one of the hardest jobs as a batter, opening against world-class bowlers.
“I’d love to see Dave go out on a high, and in my opinion I think he deserves it, he deserves a Johnny Farnham farewell tour if you want to call it that. I’m a big fan of the way he’s gone about things, and … he’s up there with the most generous people I’ve ever met. That’s no lie.”
The next phase of Lyon’s career has begun with a move from the Sydney Sixers to the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. On Monday he was in Sunbury, the birthplace of the Ashes urn, to unveil a mural and speak to students at Salesian College.
To them, he related the story of how he did not take no for an answer when he decided he wanted to bat with his blown calf on the fourth day at Lord’s.
“I went to Pat [Cummins] and told him I was going to bat, and he goes ‘you’re an idiot Garry, don’t worry about it, you’re not batting’. The physio said I’m an idiot, the doctor said I’m an idiot, so I went to the head coach Andrew McDonald and said ‘I want to bat’. He goes ‘good, you’ll need to talk to the medical staff about how to do it’,” Lyon told his audience.
“I had a heap of drugs, got strapped up from the knee down to my toes, couldn’t move my foot. I knew I couldn’t do it any worse, so it was like anyone else going to work, you’ve had a bad day but you’ve got to find a way to do it. I’d do it again today or tomorrow. But it wasn’t very fun though, getting hit when you’re batting.”
Lyon said the Jonny Bairstow stumping on the final day at Lord’s will simply become another chapter in Ashes lore.
Nathan Lyon and Alex Carey combined for three stumpings.Credit: AP
But he is scathing of those who used the episode to target Alex Carey, the Australian wicketkeeper on the receiving end of sustained abuse and threats for the remainder of the tour – not unlike Lyon’s treatment after he missed a chance to run out Jack Leach amid Ben Stokes’ 2019 Headingley miracle.
“I felt for ‘Kez’ in that I didn’t really understand why the big noise about everything was aimed at him, and why he was getting attacked so much personally,” Lyon said. “It’s pretty disappointing as a professional athlete, the way that so many people can just feel like they’ve got the right to say whatever they want.
“I respect that everyone’s got their opinion, but you don’t need to verbally abuse someone. Everyone’s human, everyone wants to be liked, loved or cared about, and it’s not much fun being abused.”
Watch every Australian World Cup game plus other big match-ups live and free on Nine, 9Gem and 9Now.
Join us for live coverage online of every Australian match with our live blogs.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Most Viewed in Sport
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
