Spin legend Nathan Lyon has brushed aside talks over Australia’s Test transition from former captain Steve Waugh and dismissed the immediate need for his retirement or the rest of the legendary quartet, comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and skipper Pat Cummins.
Gearing up for the Ashes 2025 series, Lyon said that the game has evolved a lot more in terms of physical conditioning and recovery that the question of retirement hasn’t arisen as yet.
“The game is a lot more professional than what it was even 10 years ago when I started. The science behind it all, the recovery, the way that players and the athletes look after themselves and the work they do outside hours to make sure they’re putting hours in to get their bodies right (have all improved),” Lyon was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.
“I feel like age is just a number. I feel like I’m still yet to play my best cricket.”
Retirement, not yet
Lyon said the talk of retirement hasn’t yet affected the legendary quartet, who ranks as the most successful foursome ever in the history of the game.
“As soon as you start talking about retirement, it’s going to come around a lot quicker,” Lyon said.
“I haven’t thought about retirement or spoken about retirement, and I know ‘Starcy’ hasn’t done that, and I know that Josh and Pat (haven’t either).
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“Between the four of us, we haven’t sat down and said ‘this is what we’re going to do’. We love playing cricket with each other, we love playing cricket for Australia, we love playing our role and we love winning Test matches, so we’ll continue to do that for a while.”
Legendary captain Waugh had recently spoken about Australia’s reluctance to make tough calls under selection chief George Bailey.
“George Bailey’s going to have to make some tough calls,” he said, suggesting players had been too vocal in selections.
“I think in the past he’s shown he hasn’t really had the appetite for that at times, so he’s going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors,” Waugh told reporters.
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Lyon, however, said he disagreed with the legendary batter and recounted how tough calls were taken with himself too during the last Test tour to West Indies where he was dropped for the third game.
“I had a really hard conversation with Tony Dodemaide, Andrew McDonald and Pat regarding that last Test match, so I don’t necessarily agree with that,” he said.
“I feel like the selectors at the moment within the current set-up have been really clear with their messages and they’re willing to make hard calls. I was the one who received that hard conversation, so I know what it feels like.
“I feel like our relationship and communication with the coaches and selectors and the players is really strong, and that’s incredibly important,” he remarked.
