Veteran off-spinner bullish about being heavily involved in Australia’s busy upcoming schedule
Nathan Lyon is confident he will return to Test cricket when the Australians take on Bangladesh in next month’s series opener in Darwin.
Lyon sustained a hamstring injury in the third Ashes Test last December and has played no cricket since, with the 38-year-old carefully working his way back to full fitness as he targets a heavy workload across a stretch of 20-21 Tests in the next 13 months.
With 141 Tests under his belt, he is Australia’s fifth-most capped Test cricket, and Shane Warne (145 Tests) is well within his sights.
Lyon however has been overlooked on two occasions in recent times, with selectors preferring an all-pace attack for pink-ball matches in Kingston and Brisbane.
Neither the Darwin nor the Mackay Test are day-night affairs however, and the veteran off-spinner is confident of returning to his regular place in the side come the first Test from August 13.
“I’m very confident I’ll be here next month,” Lyon told reporters in Darwin. “I’m feeling very good. The rehab’s been really good. I’m about 26 weeks now post surgery and back to doing everything. Running high speed, doing everything like that. I’m looking forward to it.”
Australia enter their next period of Test cricket with not only the immediate threat of a strong Bangladesh, but with tantalising opportunities away from home against South Africa, India and England.
Lyon was part of the team’s most recent series win against the Proteas (in 2014) but victories in India and England have remained elusive for the current generation, and the off-spinner isn’t viewing the finishing line to his career just yet.
“I’m still trying to get better,” he said. “I still feel like there’s a lot of learning there for me, and I still feel like I’ve got a massive role to play within Cricket Australia.
“You’re always feeling the pressure; no-one’s got a given right to be selected for Australia … it’s not just my position people are going for; people are trying to knock off Steve Smith as well. That’s the challenge that’ll keep us older fellas on our toes.
“It’s a big training program now to make sure that come August 13 we walk out here prepared, and then we’ll worry about the next series after we complete this one.”
Lyon underwent hamstring surgery last December to reattach the muscle. It was a significant injury for a 38-year-old – described last month by CA physical performance coach Ross Herridge as “pretty traumatic” – and Lyon’s future in the side was speculated upon when Victoria off-spinner Todd Murphy was added to the CA contract list in autumn.
“A pretty significant hamstring tendon injury to a 38-year-old, probably there’s a higher degree, or a sense of realism that it may not ever get back to the upper echelon of where you need it to,” said national selection chair George Bailey at the time.
“So what does that look like? It may mean there’s not necessarily the capacity to play big blocks of games, and you may have to look at that.
“But having said all that … with a really good block to get it as strong (as possible) and to get back to bowling as well as he can, he’s got a great opportunity for that and it’s tracking well at the moment.”
