Nathan Lyon: Keeping Shane Warne’s Spin Legacy Alive
Renowned cricketer Nathan Lyon is determined to continue the legacy of the late Shane Warne by championing the art of spin-bowling on an international scale.
Warne, whose illustrious career spanned over 13 years, is celebrated for reinvigorating spin-bowling. His unique blend of skill and charisma drew massive crowds to stadiums worldwide.
Lyon has expressed his profound admiration for Warne and his commitment to preserving Warne’s legacy. “I looked at Shane Warne, the greatest to ever play the game, and he used to fly the flag for spin bowlers,” Lyon shared with The Times.
“Since his passing, I’ve made it my mission to keep spin a major focus, not just in Australia, but globally. I aim to make spin cool again and follow in Shane’s footsteps,” he added.
Lyon is currently in the United Kingdom, collaborating with Lancashire for the County Championship. Under his mentorship at Lancashire is Tom Hartley, who recently made a notable Test debut in India.
Despite a challenging debut innings, Hartley demonstrated resilience and skill, achieving a seven-wicket haul in the second innings. This performance, the best in the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle so far, helped England secure a rare victory against India on their home ground.
The 24-year-old concluded the series with 22 wickets, the highest for England and second-highest overall.
ALSO READ: Star performers lead the way in World Test Championship 2023-25 action
Lyon, a keen cricket enthusiast, followed the India-England series closely and was highly impressed by Hartley’s performance.
“I was glued to that [India v England] series, I’m a cricket tragic, there’s no hiding that,” Lyon admitted. “To see Tom make his debut and play the five Test matches … he’s a talent. He’s only 24 and to see what he does, what I believe he can get better at, he’s got a big future ahead of him.”
“I’m happy to help Tom in making sure he has the skill set so when he comes to Australia he can be effective. I know I’m Australian, but I want the health of Test cricket to go around the world, especially flying the flag for spinners, because it’s the best craft in the game. When it spins, everyone watches,” Lyon added.
As Lyon has been exclusively playing red-ball cricket at the international level for the past five years, his next appearance will be in November when India visits Australia for a five-match Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.