Nathan Lyon has tipped new county team-mate Tom Hartley to have a “big future” and insisted he is not at Lancashire to take his place in the team.
Lancashire pulled off a major coup by signing Australia’s record-breaking off-spinner on an overseas deal, but it was immediately brought into sharp focus when Hartley surged to prominence with a match-winning second-innings haul of seven for 62 on his Test debut in Hyderabad.
Brendon McCullum, England’s red-ball head coach, admitted during the five-match series against India that it would be “mad” if Hartley and Somerset’s Shoaib Bashir were overlooked at the start of the Vitality County Championship season.
However, Lyon rejected suggestions he could stall the development of Hartley and instead believes he can pass on plenty of wisdom to the 24-year-old during his stint at Emirates Old Trafford, which was originally for the whole campaign, but has since been reduced to seven first-class games.
“I was glued to that Test series,” Lyon told reporters on Thursday.
“To see Tom go over there, make his debut and play the five Test matches, I actually watched it quite closely.
“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 which is exciting for England cricket and world cricket as well.
“I know what Baz has come out and said in the media, and that’s all well and good – but I’m not here to take Tom’s spot. I’m here to bowl in tandem with Tom.
“If you can play two spinners in the side, in my opinion, you’ll win a lot of games of cricket. So I’m here to bowl in tandem with Tom and to be honest I’m happy to help Tom out along the way, and no doubt he’ll help me as well with different skillsets, different mindsets, tactically as well.
“There’s no secrets in what I do, so I’m more than happy to help out. If Tom calls me every day, sits down with me for a coffee every day, to talk spin bowling, I’m more than happy to do that.”
View this post on Instagram
Lyon also revealed the chance to bowl alongside Ashes rival James Anderson was part of the reason for his arrival in county cricket.
He only touched down in the country on Tuesday, but went straight into the Lancashire squad for Friday’s curtain-raiser against defending champions Surrey.
Anderson, the most prolific seamer of all time, is currently resting up after his exertions in the five-match series against India but the prospect of two greats with a combined 1,230 wickets to their name is already being teased.
“That would be pretty amazing. I’d be lying if I said that opportunity coming around wasn’t a big part of the reason I signed,” Lyon told BBC Radio Lancashire.
“He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fast bowler to have played the game. I’ve had some incredible battles against him.
“I admire his skill, there’s nothing but respect from my end for what he’s been able to do for English cricket but also world cricket, inspiring young boys and girls to play the game.
“If the opportunity comes around that I get to bowl in tandem with him and share a changing room with him it will be pretty special, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Lyon was set to spend the whole summer in England, but Cricket Australia made the decision to cut his spell over his workload management.
“It’s definitely not my call, that’s the nature of the beast,” he said.
“CA have come over the top and said they wanted to manage me and hopefully extend my career. My hands are tied.”
Sammy highlights Windies depth, readiness for T20I, ODI assignments against Sri Lanka
West Indies white-ball Head Coach Darren Sammy is brimming with confidence about his squad’s readiness as they prepare to kick start their tour of Sri Lanka with the first of three T20Is on Sunday.
Sammy’s confidence stems from the fact that most, if not all, of his players benefitted from the intensity and high-level competition of the recently-concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, which served as ideal preparation for them to deliver competitive performances in what will be a challenging tour in subcontinental conditions.
Following their three-match T20 series, which ends next Thursday, Sammy’s side will also engage their host in a three-match ODI series, scheduled to begin on October 20.
“The good thing is we are coming from our Caribbean Premier League, so most, if not all, the guys have been playing cricket, which is a plus when you have a series that comes so close after a tournament. So, us travelling here to Sri Lanka, the most important thing is the recovery of the guys,” Sammy shared shortly after arriving in Sri Lanka.
“So we are going to have a couple days to do that and a training session before our first game on Sunday. But looking from what transpired in the CPL, my guys are ready to take on a really strong Sri Lanka team,” he added.
Brandon King gathers his gears shortly after arrival. (Photo: Daily Mirror)
Sammy, who has always been vocal about fostering a winning culture within the team, emphasized that the squad’s depth would be a crucial factor in the upcoming series.
This, as the Caribbean side, West Indies, will be bolstered by the inclusion of fresh faces like all-rounders Terrence Hinds and Shamar Springer, both of whom have been rewarded for their strong domestic performances. Sammy expressed his excitement about seeing how these new talents integrate with the more experienced members of the team.
“If you notice, we are trying the depth of our squad. We've given some guys some opportunities with the World Cup coming up in less than 20 months, so with some of our senior players being unavailable, I'm looking to see how far, how great our depth could be. But, obviously, the main purpose is to win series,” Sammy declared.
“We've been doing well so far and giving guys opportunities to build and develop, so I'm really excited. Sri Lanka is a young team; since Jayasuriya took over, there's been a new energy and confidence in that team. So it will be a good series for us and a good tester for us to see where we are in the depth that we have in the Caribbean,” he reasoned.
Sammy also pointed out that the inclusion of players like Hinds and Springer reflects the broader strategy of building a versatile squad capable of adjusting to different match situations and conditions.
“Obviously the roles that they are going to be playing, especially with the ball in the backend, is a role that we are looking for and trying to find specific guys to do that. So this series, although it's short—only three games—gives them the opportunity to see and have a taste of the international flavour of cricket.
Members of the West Indies delegation. (Photo: Daily Mirror)
“So hopefully, when the opportunity comes, we could judge where they are. But I have full confidence from what I saw in the Caribbean Premier League—the skill set, the temperament they've shown already. That's why they are here with us, and I'm looking forward to what they could do on the international scene,” Sammy noted.
While the conditions will undoubtedly require adjustments, Sammy’s optimism stems from the team’s diverse skill set.
“The conditions, based on the data that Avenesh [Seetaram] has given us, are that the pitches are good for batting, and just looking at the recent Lanka Premier League, some of the places we played in Dambulla and Gandhi are places that produce high-scoring matches.
“So we will assess the conditions like we always do, and Avenesh will be spot on in giving us the data that we need to help us prepare, plan, and strategize, and I think we are more than ready,” he ended.
Record-breaking Root is England's 'greatest ever', says Pope
Ollie Pope labelled Joe Root as England's "greatest ever batter" after the former Test captain helped inspire England to an emphatic win over Pakistan.
Jack Leach took the three wickets England required on day five for the record-breaking innings and 47-run triumph, which handed the tourists a 1-0 lead in their three-match series.
The win saw England become the first team in Test history to concede over 500 in the first innings, and still end up winning by an innings.
The turnaround was built on Harry Brook (317) and Root (262), as England amassed 823-7 before stand-in captain Pope declared, their highest total since 1938 and the fourth-highest in Test cricket history.
In the process, Root moved onto 12,664 runs in the longest format, seeing him surpass Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading Test run scorer.
"What a player. I admire his consistency and longevity," Pope said of Root.
"I think he is playing his best ever cricket. When he gets on a hot run, he makes it count, and he is England's greatest-ever batter.
"He is a joy to be around in the changing room."
While Root tallied up his highest Test score, Brook became the sixth England player to score a triple-century.
Together, Root and Brook surpassed England's previous record partnership of 409 runs – set by Colin Cowdrey and Peter May against the West Indies in 1957.
When Root, who is now England's record run scorer in Tests, eventually fell, it brought an end to a partnership of 454 - the fourth-highest in the history of the longest format.
"From a personal point you want to put in those scores that's always the case for a batter, but it was a joy to watch the way Joe and Harry played," Pope said.
"Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were awesome too – it was a joy to watch, and they're great players."
On the other hand, it was another humiliating defeat for Pakistan, who are enduring one of the worst periods in their history.
Pakistan are now winless in their last 11 Test matches on home soil, but captain Shan Masood said England's impressive display is something his side can learn from.
"Like I said, 220 in the third innings, depending on what kind of lead you have, can also be a good score," Masood said.
"The trick for us is that we should learn from England as well, they found out ways to get those 20 wickets. You can't win Test matches without taking 20 wickets.
"As a team, we have that second innings of batting to improve, but we must also take 20 wickets."
Leach takes centre stage as England claim emphatic win over Pakistan
England sealed an innings and 47-run victory over Pakistan on Friday, with Jack Leach shining on day five.
After a dominant performance on day four, England went into the final three sessions within touching distance of what had seemed like an unlikely victory when Pakistan mounted 556 in their first innings.
Pakistan began the day requiring 115 to match England's huge total of 823-7, which Joe Root (264) and Harry Brook had propelled them to.
But with Abrar Ahmed unable to feature due to illness, Pakistan were left with just three wickets to play with, and Leach - playing in his first Test since January - needed little time to wrap up the victory.
Salman Agha (63) was trapped lbw inside four deliveries, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was caught and bowled on 10 before Leach's spin did for Naseem Shah, who was stumped by Jamie Smith to see Pakistan all out for 220.
Leach finished with figures of 4-30 as England celebrated an emphatic victory that gives them a 1-0 lead in the series ahead of the second Test, which will also be played in Multan, next week.
Data Debrief: Record breakers
England have now reeled off three straight wins when they have conceded a total over 500, a remarkable feat in and of itself.
In fact, this victory marks the first time a team has been hit for as many as 556, yet still gone on to win by an innings.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have now lost 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, and four in a row to England on home soil.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
