"If he’s around the ground I’ll say hello to him" - Nathan Lyon looks forward to interacting with Mitchell Johnson in Perth
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has asserted that he has no issues with former teammate Mitchell Johnson, despite the latter's comments towards David Warner in recent weeks. All three parties will be present in close quarters when Australia take on Pakistan in the first Test of the home summer at the Optus Stadium in Perth on December 14.
Lyon and Warner are highly likely to be part of the playing XI, with the former returning from an injury that he had sustained during the 2023 Ashes. Johnson, on the other hand, will be part of the broadcast team responsible for the coverage of the opening Test.
The former pacer's controversial comments over Warner being given a home farewell in red-ball cricket despite his questionable form made the headlines. The issue flared up when Johnson revealed that he did not get an appropriate text message from Warner, leading to more former cricketers being involved in the saga.
“Why a struggling Test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date. And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off? … his past three years in Test cricket have been ordinary, with a batting average closer to what a tail-ender would be happy with," Johnson had written in his column.
Lyon made it clear that he has no dramas with Johnson, and will speak with him if possible in Perth.
“If he’s around the ground I’ll say hello to him, I’ve got no dramas with saying hello. He was pretty incredible in that 2013-14 Ashes, and I’ve got some very fond memories of it, that’s for sure," The spinner said ahead of the first Test.
"I want to play cricket for as long as I can" - Nathan Lyon setting his sights on series wins in India and England
Nathan Lyon has been Australia's first-choice spinner in Tests for close to a decade now. He currently stands tall with 122 Test appearances and 496 wickets to his name and has no intention to step away just yet.
Claiming that he is not thinking of retirement for now, Lyon said:
“I’m not putting a number on it. I want to play cricket for as long as I can. I didn’t win in India and I haven’t won in England, and it’s two places I want to do. I feel like there’s a passion there to keep going - I’m definitely not putting a line through where I can get to."
“It’s something I’m extremely proud of and when you look at it you’re slowly creeping your way up on two Australian greats who are the only two guys who have taken over 500 wickets for Australia. It’s pretty amazing when you potentially see your name up alongside those guys,” he added.
Will the ace spinner reach the 500-wicket milestone in the Perth Test against Pakistan? Let us know what you think.