Milestone man Lyon’s in the ODI wilderness
NATHAN Lyon is set to claim the 100- match and 400- wicket double this Test summer, but prioritising preparations for his milestone campaign looks set to cost him his place in Australia’s white ball set- up.
Australia’s cricket selectors will announce their one- day and Twenty20 squads on Thursday to face India next month, and it’s tipped Lyon is likely to be missing.
Lyon went through a month in the UK bubble — plus two weeks of strict quarantine back in Australia — to not even play a single game against England, in what amounted to an overseas net session.
Australia is conscious of potentially stringing him along again as a fringe white- ball player carrying the drinks for a fortnight against India, when they have a high- octane Test series coming up in which Lyon will be a pillar of the bowling line- up.
Due to the onerous demands of COVID restrictions, any time outside the bubble is considered golden and selectors look like making a call on Lyon to keep him fresh and focused for the main menu of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The reasoning behind his likely omission may not entirely appease Lyon, who has been repeatedly clear about his ambitions to cement his place for Australia in all three forms.
Australia will pick a smaller white ball contingent than they did for England, but will have several players on standby to come into the bubble if required.
Meanwhile, an experienced businesswoman once handpicked by Malcolm Turnbull to serve on the ABC board is set to join former NSW premier Mike Baird as new additions to the Cricket Australia board.
Vanessa Guthrie, a West Australian mining executive who is also deputy chair of the West Australian Cricket Association, is likely to appointed at CA’s annual general meeting on Thursday.